Meet Jaylen Corbin

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jaylen Corbin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jaylen, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
One of the most important things I’ve learned in recent years, particularly throughout my journey at CCS (College for Creative Studies), is that almost every person is capable of feeling like an imposter within their respective field. Many friends of mine that are widely considered to be extremely talented have consistently expressed this overwhelming feeling of being an imposter. This even applies to professors and other professionals I’ve spoken to! One of my professors has even discussed how they feel that they create one good thing for every two or three bad-to-mediocre things that they make – I personally found this to be very assuring as I share a similar sentiment with my work. This doesn’t apply to only creative fields as well – it’s so important for people to understand that quite literally everyone is faced with imposter syndrome at some point (or multiple points) in their life. So personally, I try to remind myself that those that I idolize or consider to be absolutely amazing have also faced the dreadful feeling that they don’t belong in the position that they’re in. It’s gotten to a point where I question those who haven’t even once questioned their work in some cases.

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 am an animator and storyteller based in Detroit, MI. I use the vague term “storyteller” as I also have a strong passion for writing and directing, whether it be animated or live action projects. Currently, I’m starting my fourth year as an animation student at the College for Creative Studies, hoping to pursue a career in 2D character animation or something adjacent. I’ve been in love with the idea of producing films and cartoons since I was seven when I’d watch LEGO stop-motion videos and various animated web-series on YouTube.

What I find so exciting about what I do is to allow people the opportunity to connect with characters and worlds in ways that are greatly emotionally impactful, whether it allows them to reflect upon their own lives or perhaps give them the space to connect with something separated from their own situation. Throughout my life, I have always found intensively character-driven media to be the most immersive – I personally find it to be some of the most beautiful art that exists. I knew from very early on that storytelling via film and video is exactly what I want to be doing with my life. I myself found such comfort in fictional worlds during difficult times and I’d love to provide the same comfort for others.

I’m working towards producing or working on animated shows or short films that allow for dramatic story elements and deeper character studies, which I find slowly becoming more widely accepted within the industry. However, that’s not to say that I wouldn’t like to make things that are fun or lighthearted – just that I hope to write and produce animated media that is not explicitly marketed for children alone. I deeply enjoy projects that perfectly strike that balance, like Sony’s recently-released Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, or shows that age with their audience like HBO’s Adventure Time and Infinity Train. I’m also a huge fan of a plethora of live-action media, but I find that animation allows for further innovations and creative freedoms.

My current focus is on developing my senior thesis, a short film surrounding an amateur robbery gone wrong. It’ll likely be released along with my other projects on my YouTube channel, JaylenTC. I’m viewing the production of this project as somewhat of a trial run for the other original projects I’d like to produce in the future.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The one lesson I’ve learned that has allowed me to follow through with completing projects is to let go of the idea of perfectionism with each project. This is obviously either said than done, but I truly believe that the fear of not producing perfection each time is what prevented me from making as much as I wanted before coming to CCS. In trying to accept that each thing I’ve made or worked on is just one step of the journey and could have its own charm or appeal in that way, depending on what the project is. This is something that I feel doesn’t fully go away, but being aware of it has truly helped me in recent years.

Another thing that has personally helped me is experience in collaboration and feedback. Getting opinions and showcasing your work to others truly helps in creating the best version of your work! Being in school with other creative minds has definitely shown me the value in having others around who provide other perspectives and genuinely want the best for whatever project is at play.

Lastly, I find it important to remind yourself why it is that you enjoy whatever it is that you do. With creative work especially, it’s not too hard to allow the process to become monotonous in some ways, so it’s good to step back and look at what makes the process fun in the first place. For me, this is consuming media that I enjoy and can see myself drawing inspiration from, or even looking back at finished works of mine and reminding myself of what successes came before.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I am very much to be overwhelmed. Like, a lot of the time. I find that the best thing for me is to remain as organized as possible, whether it be some form of calendar, list, or document that not only keeps track of what needs to be done, but also when they need to be completed by and when time will be set aside to do them. It also helps for many people to actively cross things off as they get done – it brings a better sense of accomplishment!

Contact Info:

  • Instagram: @jaylentc_
  • Twitter: @JaylenTC
  • Youtube: @JaylenTC

Image Credits
Jaylen Corbin

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