We recently connected with Jaelyn Clay and have shared our conversation below.
Jaelyn , thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
Staying true to who I am is super important to me. I have found that being myself is actually what makes me stand out in different ways. I also notice how people gravitate towards me more when they see how relatable I am. Being confident and comfortable with who I am/what I represent helps me to stand out as well. Once I am comfortable, it is easier for me to open up to others. This then helps the people around me feel more comfortable as well creating a safe and open space for all. The more vulnerable everyone is the more genuine conversations/ideas flow naturally.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Jaelyn Clay. I am a visual artist/entrepreneur. I was born and raised in Southeast, Washington, DC. I always loved art, I was coloring ever since I could pick up a crayon. Art has always been apart of me. I knew that I really wanted to pursue a career in art once I was accepted into high school at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, in the visual arts department. This is where I began to learn the different techniques and logistics of becoming an artist. My teachers would always tell me I have an “eye for design” because I would often create colorful abstract paintings that leave the viewers eyes wondering around the entire canvas. After graduating high school, I was accepted into the School of the Arts program at VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University). Here is where I earned my Bachelor’s of Fine Art degree. While in college, being exposed to different artists that come from different cultures and backgrounds definitely helped open my eyes to the type of art I wanted to create. I knew that I wanted to create Art that made me and others feel something. My favorite medium to use while creating is paint. I love how it allows me the freedom to add “my touch” on pretty much anything. This leads me to everything I create and sale in my business. I design custom shoes, hats, belts, clothing, really anything that can hold paint. I create murals on doors in homes and garage doors inside/outside. I even work on tiny canvases like my custom press-on nail sets that I sale on my Etsy shop [Jaelasoull].
The best feeling is seeing the outcome of the finished pieces and satisfying my customers/supporters. Doing what I love for a living has to be one of the most fulfilling jobs I have ever worked in my life. It will always be fun and rewarding. I hardly ever feel like I am really “working”. I am just an artsy girl living in and creating her own dream world.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The first quality that I feel has impacted me the most on my journey would be learning to implement “good customer service skills”. No matter what you do in life, having good customer service skills and knowing how to effectively communicate with others is an extremely important fundamental skill to master. It will only help you advance in whatever it is you decide to put your mind to. The second quality would be “being open-minded”. The more you are open to the different perspectives/possibilities of what is happening around you, you are more susceptible to discovering different possibilities that you might not of thought of right away, ultimately expanding your business.
Last but not least, the third quality would be “problem solving skills” because there will always be obstacles/problems that arise. Knowing when and how to react to these problems when they happen is the key. Reacting negatively or in the wrong way can hurt your business and/or set back your journey.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
I think it is important to invest time into doing both. While going all in on our strengths can impact you in a great way, being more well rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in won’t hurt to do either. The more knowledge and experiences you have in different areas, the more the opportunities. This reminds me of attending art school in college. While majoring in a specific area in art I also had to take other art classes. Even though those classes had nothing to do with my choice of study it was still beneficial for me to learn different skills and techniques so that I can apply them to my business/art in the future. I always think that it is better to know more valuable information than to not know enough. Also while attending these classes in school, making connections with my classmates came in handy once I graduated and everyone went their separate ways. I still have connections that I have made in college that I am very grateful to have. Having a well rounded genre of knowledge and connections with others allows for more doors to be open and available for you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JaeLaSoull
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jaelasoull?igshid=eDF0MWUxenYwb3do&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaelyn.clay.5?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: TikTok: @jaelasoull
Image Credits
Jaelyn Clay
