Story & Lesson Highlights with Jewel Mensah

Jewel Mensah shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Jewel , so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
Great question! Outside of waking up, creating art, and doing it all over again, there is no such thing as a normal day. My days are constantly shifting; some days require extreme focus for tasks like editing, while other days flow a little more freely, such as when I’m in the ideation process. This ebb and flow of what normal looks like is something that I’m embracing more each day as I live a fully creative life.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Jewel. I’m an award-winning artist, author, and entrepreneur. My art is multidisciplinary, and across various mediums, including film, photography, and installation art. Like the namesake of my first book, Reflections of Intimacy, most of my work deals with intimacy. I’m also the founder and director of JWLM.space – a creative studio. We work with other artists and brands to bring creative visions to life. To date, we’ve worked on music videos, album covers, live production needs, and I’ve even utilized the studio’s expertise to launch my own YouTube channel on global travel, food, and culture. That’s Adventures with Jewel on YouTube, check it out, subscribe, and let me know what you think. I definitely welcome feedback. You can also read about my travels on adventureswithjewel.com to get more details and insider exclusives. I’m currently working on bringing my documentary short film, Echoes of the Night, to the big screen. I can’t wait for you all to experience this piece of art.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
This is such an interesting question because for me, those people have been teachers, other artists, entrepreneurs, and a few people in my personal life. Some names to shout out here include: Sid Lemelle, Jennifer Friedlander, Donna DiGrazia, Bob Moz, Dan Green, Chad Willetts, Brabra Dansou, Ericka Hatfield, Samuel Pearson, Danny and Maya, and a handful of others – you know who you are.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Ha! Yes, actually, this was after I left the corporate world to step fully into my artistry and creative life. Without the security of a steady paycheck and the structured comfort of corporate life found in annual meetings and quarterly plans, I questioned myself often. The urge to give up grew stronger as I recognized my frequency shifting as people I’d grown familiar with began to move to the fringes of this creative life. It took a lot of self-exploration to recognize that for me, creating art and living a fully creative life was not a job but a calling, which meant I couldn’t bring the same parameters from my past life into my current one.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
I have no versions. Anyone who has ever had a conversation with me or encountered my work knows they are getting an undiluted Jewel every time. You might be confused at first, but if you sit with it long enough, you’ll know it’s all real.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Even before I stepped into living a fully creative life, I required the highest level of integrity and honesty with myself. Now, I’m doing exactly what I’m meant to be doing. If I had 10 days left, I’d do more of it.

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Image Credits
Image courtesy of Jewel Mensah

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