Meet Jorah Saint James

We were lucky to catch up with Jorah Saint James recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jorah, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I think I get my resilience from being a queer individual in a cis-heteronormative society. Sometimes I feel like everything I do, whether I like it or not, is political. Going to the bathroom is political. Getting my haircut is political. Pouring a cup of coffee is political. Living at a time when my rights are constantly up for discussion, I guess I’ve had no choice but to become resilient.

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 wear many different hats. Professionally, I edit resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles as well as wait tables. Creatively, I write poetry, cook, and bake. I actually enjoy everything that I do, and feel very lucky to say so. What’s most exciting about my career and hobbies is that I get to exercise my brain. There is nothing more satisfying to me than finding the exact right way to say something. I feel similarly about my cooking and baking. It feels amazing to crack the code on a complicated recipe– to figure out precisely what ingredients are needed to bring a meal to life.

Something else that I do which toes the line between profession and hobby is modeling. I love collaborating with other creatives to bring beautiful, thought-provoking art to life. I’ve been modeling for around three years and I’ve loved it the entire time.

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?

I don’t think I can pinpoint a quality or skill that has most impacted my journey. What I can say is that it’s necessary to practice your craft as much as possible. Even if it’s just for five minutes a day, practice as much as you can. Over time you’ll develop the discipline and expertise that you need to succeed.

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?

Existing as a trans person in a society that is becoming increasingly hostile toward gender-nonconformity and queerness in general is a challenge that I face every day. Fortunately I have wonderful friends and a great community around me to help me through these challenging times.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Instagram.com/delusionsofgender, Instagram.com/thegreenpansy

Image Credits

Photo 1: Jorah Saint James, “The Green Pansy”
Photo 2: Iris Delany
Photo 3: Iris Delany
Photo 4: Jorah Saint James, “The Green Pansy”
Photo 5: Jorah Saint James, “The Green Pansy”