From Ash to Gold: Jameel Rashad Austin.
Meet Jameel, the DOPEST storyteller & visionary you'll ever ever meet. Jameel is one of my biggest inspirations so I HAD to get an interview with him. Check out this article as he talks about his creative process & what it means to be a content creator.
Tell us about yourself. My name is Jameel Rashad Austin — I’m a lover of life, a photographer, a storyteller & a poet. I’m an all around self expressionist & content creator. I’m also a father & I navigate this life with my best friend and life partner Shay Ayala.
What is creativity? Creativity is a gift. I look at it like a radio frequency that we all have access to. For some of us it’s our favorite station and we’re constantly tuned in. For others, it’s just the chatter that’s bypassed as they look for their favorite tune. Creativity is a tool for self expression & soul connection. Great art brings people together because great artists invite people in to see them as their most vulnerable & authentic selves.
How did your creative journey begin? My journey began in elementary school. My first creative passion was poetry. I remember writing a piece called “StooperMan”. It was about a little boy who wanted to be a super hero when he grew up. When my teacher read it she asked if she could submit it to a contest to be published. I ended up being a winner in that contest & had my first poem published. That experience proved to me that what I created mattered.
What does content creation mean to you? For me, content creation is the act of creating content with the intent to share it with others for a specific purpose. Content can be anything from photography, to videography, to social media posts, to articles, to podcasts. It’s content creators that keep people looking down into their phones and up at their televisions.
How did you begin to develop your brand? My brand is the result of me deciding to be less strategic and more organic; it’s the result of me telling myself to just do what I love to do & show the people that I’m great at it. I’m not for everyone and I’m okay with that, but for the ones I am for, we’re going to make magic and have fun while we’re doing it.
How did you know your creative eye was evolving? I knew my eye was evolving when I’d be driving, look out the window and think “Ooo, that’s a dope shot!” Or when I’d watch movies and be more interested in the composition of the shots than I was the story line. Photography has forever changed the way I see things. I’m much more observant and for that alone I am forever grateful.
Where do you see your brand going? My goal is to travel and document. I want to hear and share people’s stories. I’m a firm believer that we all have a piece to life’s puzzle. I want to help us all see the bigger picture.
What are your favorite platforms to use to showcase your work? Currently IG is my favorite. I haven’t been posting as often as I used to, but it’s definitely my favorite. I’ve also been enjoying Clubhouse as of late. I don’t get to share my visual work there, but I do get to share ideas and connect with like minded individuals.
If you could pick ANYONE (local, famous, alive/dead) to be on your creative team, who would be included? Wow, that’s a great question! If I could pick anyone to be teammates with I’d have to say Jordan Peele. I love his perspective.
Where can we book you & follow you? My website is www.jameelrashadaustin.com — you can also follow me on IG @morethanaphotog.
