Meet Jordan Arrasmith

We recently connected with Jordan Arrasmith and have shared our conversation below.

Jordan, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

Growing up as a young, queer, mixed boy in a small Illinois farm town, I struggled because I always knew I was different. However, I really didn’t want to be. Even as an adult I have always felt that it’s been hard to find people that inspire me and words and things that truly resonate with me because I feel I’m so vastly different from the rest of the world. Because of this, I’ve always felt like an easy target for criticism: “Because other people are doing great at this, if you want to be great, you should do this too. Just like them.”

After some time of my heart rejecting the idea that “what works for others will work for me”, I decided to pave my own path with my own bare hands. Even though I may not have a human blueprint myself, I realized my own oddity could be the blueprint for someone else. Or better yet, others; and that’s exactly what I go for when it comes to being an artist, creative, and motivator. I began striving to continue being “different” from everyone rather than being “better” than everyone else.

With that, I am able to trust my own self more and accept the fact that things might get cringey. I’m able to grasp the idea that there is no wrong way of doing something when you make the ultimate decision to make life your own. I’m able to understand that uniqueness isn’t a flaw, it’s an enhancement of what makes me, me. Confidence comes from trust within oneself. This is a trait that takes time, and this is a trait that comes and goes (frequently) because we are all human. We as people are capable of so much more than we think and once we truly grasp that idea and weed out the people that try and tell us any different, the confidence is endless.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Raised in a little town called Paris, Illinois (population of 8,084) by a black mother and white father, I come from a long line of athletes and a small line of musicians. My step-grandfather who played Bluegrass and poured his whole heart into my love for music bought me my first karaoke machine at age 3, bought me my very first guitar at age 6, and built an entire recording studio at age 13. I spent every single day I could in that room while also playing sports and going to school. Then it was time to leave for college and I had to make a decision of whether I wanted to live a traditional life, or perform for the rest of my life. I chose the latter and never looked back once. I moved to Chicago for Musical Theatre school and after my first year I realized 1. I couldn’t afford it and 2. I was booking the same jobs as people with degrees in my field so I decided to leave school and get right to work. To keep myself financially afloat, at 19 I became a Fitness Instructor and I was able to find ways other than art to inspire people. It very quickly became a career path I equate to being an artist. After almost 10 years of being in Chicago with stage credits all over the country and some on-camera experience, I moved to NYC to continue on with my career. I scored a new agent, I booked a couple of gigs, and still loving my job as a fitness instructor at [solidcore]. Today, while still a professional actor and fitness instructor, I recently began writing and recording my own music which I have planned to release in 2025. I’ve been recording vocals for DJ’s in House Music and diving head first into producing. I guess you could say I’ve always been a “Jack of All Trades”.

You can find me in NYC and NJ at Solidcore 6 days a week. AND be prepared for new music to be released in 2025: JORDO.

Instagram & TikTok: @jordanarrasmith

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Facing Rejection: it’s easy on paper to say “not everyone is going to accept you, like you, or think you’re fit for something”. I used to have a hard time hearing the word “no” (and I’ve heard it a lot). But as long as I’m breathing, the fact that there will be another “yes” coming my way keeps the smile on my face and my heart warm. The “no” you receive is life making room for growth and a time to reflect on what you can do to enhance the already amazing gift you have to bring to the table. Every time you face rejection, it’s a stepping stone, a time to learn more about yourself and grow.

2. Patience: As a hungry kid with ADHD, I’ve always wanted everything life has to offer to me right away. To the point where I would outdo myself and overthink my decisions. I wanted the world to move at my pace when it truly does have a pace of its own. With that in mind, you have to remind yourself to slow down because what’s for you will come when it’s supposed to whether you want to rush things or sleep on them. “Find your medium.”

3. Work Ethic: “When you are consistent with what you love, the only direction you can go with it is up.” The only way to get good at something is through practice and you can only get better if you do, consistently. Your mindset will play a key role in this. When you’re exhausted, you have the decision to take a break or keep pushing yourself. Either decision is valid a necessity for growth. Reward and thank yourself for making that decision; it will take you a long way.

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?

Your strengths are going to take you very, very far. You’ve spent your entire life developing them already and you should always keep holding on to those. However, you won’t know what other areas you might have proficiency in unless you give them a shot. Ive been an artist my entire life. I eat, sleep, breathe music and always will; but if I never became a fitness instructor, I would’ve never known that both can and do coexist. I now have another audience for music. I have another interchangeable support system. I am good at both because I put in the sleepless nights to become good at both; and most importantly, I get what I want out of life with them. That’s all that matters to me.

Everything in life coexists in some way, shape, or form or it wouldn’t exist at all. Nobody should ever give up something that brings them joy just because they feel unqualified. Where is the joy in something without a story of trails and tribulations?

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @jordanarrasmith
• Youtube: @JordanArrasmith
• Other: TikTok: @jordanarrasmith