Meet Jada Rayne Lucas | Writer & Creative Marketer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jada Rayne Lucas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jada Rayne, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Creativity was always apart of my life, but it took me a long time to accept that it would also become a career pursuit.
As an introverted kid growing up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, I spent a lot of time re-imagining the world around me. Writing, drawing, and creating visuals started as an outlet. It became a safe space to escape from things, and the one place where I felt comfortable enough to show up as myself. I think in those early years I didn’t really consider that a creative job could be my reality.

When I went to college, I decided that I would pursue a degree in Journalism. At the time, this felt like the happy medium between finding a “realistic job” to pay the bills and still feeding that love for storytelling. It didn’t last very long. I slowly became disconnected with the hard news formula. I wanted to share the stories of others but in a narrative way. Everything changed after I did an internship in Los Angeles during my junior year. I directed and wrote my first short film. A year before graduating, I discovered that this was actually what I was meant to do. So while working in marketing, I’ve continued to pursue my passion for being a scriptwriter.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a writer, my stories focus on themes of self discovery and personal growth especially for young people. I think there’s so many eras in our life where we become reacquainted with who we are – the awkward middle school time, high school, mid 20s, and more. I make it my personal mission to tell those stories in all their complexity. Because that can be a bit of a non-linear experience, my work can be abstract visually. I love to incorporate magical realism into my scripts. I’m a fantasy and sci-fi nerd, so I love to write in those genres.

In building marketing campaigns, I bring that relatability factor into creative as well. I really believe shared experiences and human connectivity is what makes media so powerful. Overall, I would describe my approach to anything creative as deeply introspective.

The journey to making it to this point in my career has been full of twists and turns. When I moved to Los Angeles after graduation, it was during COVID. I transferred my retail job, and I was working production gigs on the side. It took a year before I landed a full-time job at a marketing agency. This really catapulted my career in this part of the industry.

I’m really proud of finishing my first writing fellowship! I’ve finished a pilot that I’ve been working on for years. I’m really excited to continue exploring this part of my career.

There’s so many lessons that have come up for me. The over-arching one is learning to be okay with navigating the unknown. I’ve often struggled with accepting that there is no perfect path to achieving your goals. In entertainment, people often give you advice on how to break in. It’s easy to compare your experience to others. I’ve learned to focus on my own pace and be okay with enjoying the journey as it comes. The course doesn’t have to look a certain way.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a self proclaimed coffee connoisseur. Whenever people visit, I like to incorporate some of my favorite spots into the agenda. A few standouts are Amp which is also a music studio, Sip & Sonder, Republic of Pie, and of course Porto’s. The Porto’s pastries are a breakfast must have!

During the week, I would take them to museums to enjoy some of the local art experiences. The Broad is a great place to start especially for those who want to see some of the famous, iconic pieces. Then, we could venture over to the Moca. The Getty is great also for those who appreciate great architecture.

For my friends that love day parties, I would take them to Black Market Flea, Black on the Block, or Everyday People of course! There’s always great vibes, music, food, and lots of vendors.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve gotten this far with the support of my family. Even in times of uncertainty, they have continued to re-assure me that I’m on the right path. As a creative, they are truly my biggest fans. My dad reads every script, my mom watches any video I make, and my grandmother is always a phone call away to cheer me on.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadaraynedrop/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jada-lucas-a139b4136/

Image Credits
Main Photo By: Qurissy Lopez

Photo with Palm Trees By: Salena Tatiana