Meet Juno Grace

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

Juno, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

I grew up in a strict household where creativity was generally associated with rebellion and therefore frowned upon. We were taught to follow the rules and move through “proper life stages.” Go to school, behave, get good grades, graduate, get a high-paying job, find a partner, build a family, teach your kids to do the same. I suppose I’m a bit of a rebel by nature and I always wanted a different path for myself so I spent the majority of my life carving a joyful existence by exploring and discovering less linearly. This led me to a number of odd jobs (like being an Assistant Director of a private post-1950s film photography collection, or an erotic photographer) and interests that led me across the world (Turkey, France, Germany, Canada).

Creativity to me means perpetually learning. I’m inspired by people older and wiser than I am who continue to keep their inspiration alive by being unafraid to try new things. If you think about it, the best projects come from those who aren’t afraid to take a risk by exploring a direction they haven’t been through before. In the process, they gain precious knowledge about themselves and the people they’re collaborating with. I keep my creativity alive in that way–by pushing myself to learn.

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?

I work as the Head of Brand of Spike & Crown Studios. We’re an AAPI, women-led media studio that is committed to changing the narrative surrounding mental illness and trauma. The screen industry shapes the development of American culture through the stories it tells and studies show that media impressions of negative actions perpetrated by people living with mental illness undeniably perpetuate harmful stereotypes. Spike & Crown Studios strives to offer a more realistic interpretation of what it’s like to live with mental health issues in order to reframe the way we think about them.

Our first feature, House of La Mancha, is about a young girl navigating between her inner turmoil and an “objective” reality. Throughout the story you’ll see that the distinction between sanity and insanity becomes increasingly blurred. The viewer is left to think critically about the psychological pressures that those living with trauma and mental illness deal with on the daily. It’s a dark story, but I promise our team had a lot of fun exploring a world of possibilities in storytelling through animation.

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

Openness, communication, and collaboration were the top qualities that were most impactful in my journey. I’ve had the opportunity to work with awesome team members who trusted my leadership and vision because I trusted their capabilities and input first. Impactful work isn’t done in solitude, so my best advice is to learn how to take criticism and be a team player.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Bell hooks is one of my biggest influences. I’ve worked in some of the world’s most visible teams (Dave Chappelle, Mike Carson/Kendrick Lamar) along with underdog businesses that have yet to make a debut. But across the board, I always try to involve myself with projects that actively seek to bring marginalized groups to the forefront. If I’m to get involved, the project needs to have a mission that aims to diversify and enrich.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://spikeandcrown.com

Image Credits

Artwork by Frans Kusuma (Creative Dir.) and John Lee (Art Dir.)