Meet Janessa Latrice | Creative Director/Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Janessa Latrice and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Janessa, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Growing up I dreamed of becoming a runway model, but then the hard reality hit me when I realized I was too “short” for runway. So instead of dismissing my dream, I just simply altered it. I then took on a dream of becoming a catalog/fashion model. After highschool, I decided to attend fashion school to learn everything I can about the ways of fashion, deepen my love for art, and learn about the background work to how things are created into its final product. While attending school I got a part time job at a museum where I was able to interact with many different people, which allowed me to open my shell more and also learn how to operate in a more business environment that also dealt with art. Since then I have climbed up the ladder and am now a supervisor, leading an entire team.

Within these past few years of my journey, I have learned so much about business management, modeling, and art. With all of these new experiences it has also revealed my passion which is creating. Along with modeling, it has pushed me to create beautiful things that I couldn’t even imagine when I was younger. From set design, wardrobe, hair, makeup, location, etc. I was able to form an actual visual concept from just a thought in my head.

In the world of modeling, I came across a lot of challenges like feeling not good enough or creating a sense of body dysmorphia. I then thought, why not try being a creative director! I always loved the process of creating a photoshoot for myself or for others, so being a creative director just seemed right.

Being a black woman in the modeling world as well, I would typically get photos back after paying a ton of money and not being happy with the end results due to the way my skin was edited. I wanted to be able to create a look exactly as it was visualized in my head and not always having to wait on others to get the results I desired.

I created Jai Creative because I wanted to make the lives of other creatives a lot easier. Finding talent, inspiration, location, etc. is a big part of creating a final product and it can be difficult and overwhelming when you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for or if you also are on a budget. Jai Creative is a marketing outlet that provides creative mood boards and creative consulting for brands or personal projects where you may also locate for talent for your specific needs all in one place. Outside of the creative consulting, I also do photography, content creation, and pose direction.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a brand! Whether that is Janessa Latrice the model, artist, content creator & photographer or Jai Creative the creative director/consultant. I have to constantly remind myself that a lot of things are just business and I can’t or shouldn’t take everything personally.

Throughout my journey I have learned that it is best to know the needs and requirements to every job in the creative field so that you don’t need to rely on anyone else. I think that is something that sets myself apart from a lot of others in the same professional avenue. Some people try to stick to one skill and master it, I personally like to learn multiple skills and master each one over time. I believe this is a good characteristic to have because sometimes people you need on set may not be available last minute or things can just go wrong. Having those skill sets allows you to be able to wear multiple hats and make sure that everything can still move smoothly regardless of someone else or unforeseen incidents.

It’s definitely not an easy task but it is worth it all on the end. The countless sleepless nights, early mornings, and money spent, it is all worth it once you cross that finish line. I am far from my finish line but I think all the steps and challenges I have endured will make it all worth the wait.

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 am honestly a home body but when I do go out, I love to go thrifting or to fun events happening in Los Angeles. The best places that I like to thrift are Crossroads Trading Post, 2nd Street, Out the Closet, and Good Will. Some of the events that I like to check out are Black on the Block, WEHO night life, Familiar Faces, and Black Flee Market, or just any community event.

Some of my favorite food spots in Los Angeles have been Granville, HOME, Bossanova, Daves Hot Chicken, Chic-n-rice, Love you Latte, and Yamato’s. But I’ve been trying to learn how to cook more, so that’s been a fun experience in itself!

If a friend was to visit for a week long trip I would also probably take them to a lot of the tourist areas like Universal Studios/City Walk, Glendale Galleria for some shopping, and maybe even Santa Monica or Malibu beach. I am a creative person so a lot of the activities I tend to go for are more hands on. So for a more hands on experience I would probably go to Sky Zone for fun or Color Me Mine for arts and crafts.

In Los Angeles a lot of the events that happen are spread through word of mouth. There is always something going on, so it’s best to know someone who knows about all the upcoming events in your area. I also find out about events on Eventbrite or the ETA app.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My entire family is my support system! My family has always supported my career and has always kept it real with me even when they didn’t like something. Having a supportive family is very important, especially at times when you doubt yourself or don’t feel like anything you’re doing is working.

My other support system is my amazing partner Ke’on Christian! He has been by my side every step of the way and we complement each other creatively in ways the other may be lacking in. My support system is very important to me because they allow me to better myself and see things that I may not have been able to see or even in a different light.

Nothing that you do can be done alone. You need support and partnership to thrive and excel in the things you believe in and want to achieve.

Website: https://linktr.ee/jaicreative

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janessalatrice/?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D