We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jasmine Marshall. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Jasmine, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I am proud to be building and leaning into this “unmasked” version of me. As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, I have just now in the recent years come to terms with how hard I’ve had to mask to survive in a neurotypical society. I’ve done it for so long, that sometimes the mask is second nature. Masking in psychology involves It involves suppressing or hiding traits and behaviors while mimicking or adopting social norms and communication styles. It takes a lot of brainpower and is downright exhausting to do this day in and day out.
This 2025 version of me is one that is herself to the fullest, no chaser, no filter, and no effort needed.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
During the day, I’m a medical laboratory scientist that works in higher education. During my free-time, I’m an aspiring naturalist that studies butterflies and is a freelance artist. And lastly, I am also a wife and stepmom. I wear many hats, and I like to call myself the walking oxymoron or walking contradiction. I’m a very random and spontaneous person but I also can be very by-the-book and structured. It’s hard to do both, but I have a palette and spreadsheet brain – colorful but color-coded.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was unapologetically different. I didn’t know as such thing as not normal or weird. I was just Jasmine up until that difference became more obvious between me and my peers. I miss that uninhibited side of me that didn’t stop to think, “wait, am I doing this right.”
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
My most defining wounds have been rejection and loss. In it I have seen my lowest depths of weakness, but I have been realizing the strength that comes from it too. There are some individuals so unique, so rare, so special to the world, that they are exclusive to certain venues, scenes, and crowds. I thought that meant something was wrong with me until I dug deep and saw all the things right with me. My wounds in many ways both saved me and changed my perspective to realize I have everything I need.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Because I am a blogger and I do know of a good bit of people in my small city, the public version of me is the curated version. It is a part of me, but not me in my totality. It’s like a lunar eclipse. You see me, yes, but not all of me. I recently wrote about that as well in my blog. I gatekeep intimate parts of me for the people that matter most. I was not meant to be palatable to the masses so there are certain things I keep to myself now.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
With the recent passing of a loved one, I feel like I really started looking at my own humanity, and in some ways, I even had survivor’s remorse. Survivor’s remorse is when we feel guilty for surviving a traumatic event and someone else didn’t. Losing a loved one that I was close to in a way that left more questions than answers really had me thinking that anybody can leave here any day. It doesn’t matter if you’re a good person or not. We all bleed and die. That harsh realization and seeing it firsthand made me lose sight of a lot of unimportant things like trying so hard to be what was expected of me instead of just being. So, I would say if I had 10 years left, I definitely would not be people pleasing.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.thebutterflyblogs.site/post/butterfly-effect
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14LYKU5KcBz/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.ko-fi.com/craft_lab
Image Credits
Charles Paxton (photo of me taking a photo)
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