Meet Jazmyn Ray-Maynard

We were lucky to catch up with Jazmyn Ray-Maynard recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jazmyn, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
Growing up I have always been the “odd one out” the “thing that’s not like the others”. At first, I didn’t realize that I was any different, but as I got older and became more aware of the world around me, I realized I wasn’t the same. It may have been my height because I am only 4’11”. It may have been the fact that I was a black girl, growing up in a predominately white community. Or the fact that I was a curvy alternative girl in the Tumblr thigh gap era when curves were not the beauty standard. Every teenager just wants to fit in, but like all the Disney movies said, some of us are just born to stand out! There are two things you must remember when you realize you are the “only one in the room”. Understand that you have the opportunity to bring something unique to broaden the minds of the others in the room. Then remember that you have the chance to expand your understanding and continue to grow and evolve. As I got older, I realized that those of us who don’t fit in can either accept this power to invoke change or can continuously try to change ourselves to fit in with others.

I chose to invoke change.

Hello, my name is Jazmyn, I am a 4’11” black curvy alternative professional model and my mission is to help others realize no one in “the room” is like anyone else. It has taken me years to accept the challenge of loving and being my authentic self. Growing up I watched America’s Next Top Model and dreamed of becoming one of the girls walking runways, doing photoshoots, staring in campaigns, and music videos! I always thought those dreams were about 12 inches and 30 lbs out of my reach. Little did I know that those dreams would become my reality.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a professional model and content creator based out of Dallas, Texas. As a model, I work with photographers, videographers, brands, and makeup artists to bring their creative visions to life! My mission is to empower others to be their most authentic selves and to challenge the industry’s standards of beauty. I have the honor of being able to represent people of color in both mainstream artistic spaces as well as alternative/cosplay spaces.

Although I am not the traditional build of a model, I have walked runways, been on billboards, campaigns, music videos, commercials, magazines and so much more! Those milestones are fantastic, but the best part has been the community of people that I have built while representing that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and creeds!

I entered the cosplay space back in November 2020 on Tiktok, I have always been a nerd but never thought that cosplay would be something I would enjoy. My sister-in-law convinced me to try it out and I will always be thankful for that extra push. My OC, Orignal Character, Neri has been my main cosplay and she has allowed me to meet so many amazing people. There is an entire sub-community of POC (People of Color) Cosplayers and fantasy cosplayers. This space welcomed me with open arms and we as a community have pushed to show that any person can love fantasy and cosplay. We are breaking stereotypes while creating a new community that is more diverse and welcoming to new people interested in these spaces.

Currently, I am working to move more into the alternative modeling space. There is very little POC representation in this community although there are many POCs who are a part of it. Growing up an emo-scene kid who had multicolored hair, wore skinny jeans, and listened to Paramore, My Chemical Romance, and Falloutboy, just like everyone else, I never felt fully a part of the community. Because when I went online to find people in the community who looked like me I couldn’t find anyone. I know many people had the same experience as me, which is why I want to represent those who are unrepresented. Although I no longer have an aggressive side part and wear skinny jeans every day, I still love the alternative community and all its sub-communities. I aim to create space, represent, and showcase those who felt like outcasts in the alternative community!

If any of this speaks to you, please be sure to keep an eye on my website and social media as I continue to represent the unrepresented, make changes to both the mainstream and alternative media, and build a community for the outcast. I share all kinds of content for my POC alt-fantasy nerds from photo shoots, fashion and beauty, makeup tutorials, cosplay content, and more. Starting in 2024, I will be hosting as well as attending more, online and in-person events catering to this community.

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?
The three skills that aided me the most in my journey have been:

1. Learning to love myself wherever I am. – You will always have room to grow and improve but you must enjoy every step along the way. Because if you don’t you will miss out on so many opportunities and great moment.

2. Leaving my ego at the door. – There will always be people who know more than you or are better than you. Therefore you should not allow jealsouy and ego to prevent you from growing and learning. Your ego/pride can be the very reason you continue to fail.

3. Loving something is an action not an emotion. – Loving what you do is an active desition you make everyday. There will be days that you may hate what you’re doing but understand that love means sacrifies, love means trying, love means choosing what makes your soul happy even when its difficult.

These three things have kept me on this journey! I have struggled with my body image my entire life and there have been times that I don’t love how I look in the mirror but I remind myself to step in front of the camera anyway. To not allow those negative moments to negatively impact my career. At the end of the day if your dream is to have a career in the arts, although its art, is still a business and businesses can not be run by emotions. You will hit points where your art feels like work, that’s okay, take time to do a side project and to remind yourself why you chose to love this career. All artist have egos, they are inevitable, but don’t allow yours to prevent you from growing. Allow your ego to guide you to weak points so you can focus on strengthening those areas. At the end of the day artist are emotional, passionate, expressive people, we pour our souls into everything we do. Remember to feed your soul, actively fall in love with your art over and over again. Switch up the way you interact with your art, try educationing others, learning new skills, or helping others with their art. Those small adjustments will keep the fire burning and keep you on your journey.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I would love to work with more like-minded artists and brands. Whose mission is to empower others, and promote authenticity and self-love! Ideally, those who are in or adjacent to alternative communities (tattoo artists, designers, brands, events, music, magazines, content creators, etc.), Fantasy/Cosplay communities, and or anyone who would love to spread the same message.

They will be able to message me on any of my social media @Jazmynraymay or email me at info@jazmynraymay.com. I am always open to new partnerships and collaborations

Contact Info:

Image Credits
@royallune.photo @cinphtos @esthermay_boudoir @bonnenuitcherieboudoir @solxluna.photo

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