Meet Jhazzy Jhane

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jhazzy Jhane a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jhazzy, so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?

I love taking myself on dates, among other self-care practices. It’s one of my favorite things to do each month and I’m very intentional about it and my time with myself. I get cute, buy myself flowers, self-reflect, and do something fun that month. I recommend this practice to everyone because it allows you to get comfortable with yourself and learn to spend time by yourself. It’s had a great impact on my effectiveness, particularly as it relates to my productivity. Going on self-dates is a way to decompress and turn inward, focus on me in the midst of the craziness of life. Once I can do that and spend some time with myself, I can return to everything else with more clarity, feeling rejuvenated.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I do a lot of things. From 9-5, Monday through Friday, I work for a non-profit that helps people living with and without intellectual disabilities live in community together. I am a communications and marketing manager for this non-profit. It’s very amazing work and I learn something daily. Outside of that, I am a poet. I write poetry and run a magazine that features poetry, art, photography, and prose based on art history. It’s called Three Panels Press. It’s a very fun and busy hobby. I love getting to bring so many creatives together and continue to share my love of art history. I am also a gerontologist, which means I study aging. I don’t do as much with it these days, but I still enjoy raising awareness about aging.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Great question. Three most important skills/areas of knowledge are resilience, doing what sets my soul on fire, and going after my dreams. I say resilience because being a poet means being met with much rejection. It can be disheartening, but it’s only helped me to grow as a writer and work to enhance my skills. Doing what sets my soul on fire means pursuing what makes me feel alive, which leads me to going after my dreams. When I go after my dreams, I am doing what makes me happy. I have never had regrets when going after things I love. My advice to others would be to find what makes you feel full and then to pursue it relentlessly. There may be rejections or doors that close on the way, but you will find your way to that acceptance and open door. I wish you all the best on your path.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

I hear people say that we are our own worst critic. I agree. I’m still figuring out how to give myself grace and the same compassion that I give to others. As I work on a new book of poetry, I am trying to overcome the need to be over critical and fearful of how people will connect with the work. I like to speak affirmations to myself often when I’m critiquing myself harshly. I also know that the work that I put out is always made with love and intention, and believe that what I have to say deserves to be said.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jhazzmynjhane.godaddysites.com

Image Credits

Mark Ruel
Na’imah Faatin