Meet Jennifer Estridge | Art Director, Content Creator, and Social Media Manager

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

Hi Jennifer, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
I love this question personally because the fear of appearing ‘weak’ for ‘giving up’ held me back from finding happiness in my early career. I studied Motion Design and Animation at the Savannah College of Art and Design, pouring my heart and soul into it. I made friends who are some of the most talented in the field. However, upon graduating and entering the real industry, I found myself dreading coming to work, opening programs, and figuring out keyframes for projects. I’m great at concepting and designing, but the nitty-gritty technical aspects of animation were admittedly never my thing. I always fantasized about doing other people’s work, namely what my art directors were doing, instead of the tasks I had lined up.

But I kept going, excruciatingly afraid of what my friends in the industry would think if I gave up. I also did continue to climb in the industry, finding myself in cool opportunities but feeling like an imposter at opportunity. I made excuses to stay in that section of the industry, believing I’d find happiness with the right team, more tutorials, or different types of work. I felt like a failure—I went to school for this, so how could it not be what I wanted to do? The anxiety of being wrong kept me stuck and had me ignoring my honest-to-God, creative strengths. For instance, I’m a superb video editor and love story telling. I’m also more of a Peggy Olson from Mad Men and gifted at selling ideas and pitches to clients, curating content and marketing and entrepreneurial spirit. I have helped win a few I’ve been included in. I’m also skilled in photography, my first love in the arts having been shooting since age 5 ,cinematography, illustration, and writing.

The moment I allowed myself to ‘give up’ on others’ expectations was when I found happiness in my work. While yes, work is work and not always glamorous, I’ve transitioned more into content creation and art direction now and have never felt more authentic and happy with what I do. The imposter syndrome still creeps up every now and then but in a way that I can manage and overcome by knowing my strengths and not forcing myself into a mold that was never meant for me. In hindsight, I feel silly for putting so much pressure on myself, but I also had to forgive myself for not knowing better.

While I loved my college experience and had great professors and friends who helped guide me, no one told me about all the different roles in a creative team or how my strengths could play into other areas of the creative pipeline. Knowing about Art Direction or Content Creation earlier might have altered my trajectory for sure, but I still appreciate my experiences as a motion designer—they’ve contributed to my growth and complement my current work in video editing and design.

Making a shift in your career is always scary, and luckily for me, it wasn’t too drastic since I’m still in the creative space. Still, knowing when to “give up” and follow what makes you happy is an act of courage. Listen to your internal voice and how you react to situations—it can guide you when change or ‘giving up’ is necessary.

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Gosh, I feel like my art is a beautiful merging of contradictions. If you had a scale of some of the most simple but beautiful feelings in the world and what causes deep-rooted anxieties in folks, you’d find my art somewhere in the middle. I like to think of my work as something that would’ve been used for the band “Hole”—feminine but raw, monsters that live under your skin, beautiful but messy, and sometimes make you want to fall apart at the seams. I do love to explore different styles, but I’m happiest when I can do a mix of media, such as collages with illustration or video, etc.

I’ve also found that owning and occupying this space, this hodgepodge of my art, is where I excel because it’s my living truth and how I normally feel. Sure, I have and will always make good branded material, cute work when I feel like it, and other sleek-looking content that fits the identity of what I’m paid to do. But I thrive in honesty and the perfectly messy—the feelings that are hard to explain but can be shown and the complexity of existing, especially as a single woman of color in this day and age, or the nostalgic feeling I get thinking about the last 29 years of my life. Sophia Coppola should totally call me up to help Art Direct a film one day; that’s what I’m getting at here.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Okay, the first place, without fail, is Dialog Cafe in West Hollywood. In 2016, I was interning for Discovery Networks and had the fantastic opportunity to live in WeHo, a place that I shamelessly love to pieces. I’d walk to Dialog and fuel myself with Dirty Chais, Matchas, and all the tasty food and treats they have to offer, and the staff is so great and friendly. Afterwards, while mourning the loss of Tower Records across the street, we’d stroll to Mystery Pier Books, Inc., and look at scripts and other rare and interesting finds that just feel so quintessentially ‘LA’. I’m a sucker for a great themed bar, and Good Times At Davey Wayne’s still has a special place in my heart, or if we could manage a good spot in line, going to Tiki Ti’s, which is my favorite Tiki Bar ever. The Prince for dinner is a good move and is a perfect spot to flex your TV knowledge to folks since it’s been in quite a few shows, or L.P if we want to be outdoors and marvel at the Hills. Maybe we’d wrap up with a show at the Echo or Jumbo’s Clown Room, and Leo’s Taco truck at some point to have one, if not THE, best tacos I’ve ever had. Again, being from the east coast, bagels are important to me, and SORRY LA, it’s just not the thing you excel in… but Courage Bagels off Virgil Ave for breakfast is a delight and deserves all the hype. Lastly, I’d jump in the car, roll down all the windows, and drive to Malibu with really no plans. All the songs about Malibu are spot on but also somehow manage to do it little justice. Those beaches are heaven on earth to me and I love to unplug and take my camera to shoot around and just decompress.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shout out newcomers to the LA area, Ian Mathers and his partner, Anne-Marie Trabolsi, members of the CiaoComedy group! We’re all SCAD alumni, but I met Ian at my first job out of college, and he is by far one of the most talented writers I’ve ever come across. He and Anne-Marie are dreamers, collaborators, and two of the most ambitious people in my circle. They have included me in branding for their shows, as well as photoshoots, and I’m always eager to help them out with whatever they need. They, in turn, have listened to and supported me in getting into writing spaces and have offered some helpful advice to pursue that world in my spare time. They are seriously talented screenwriters, having been Austin Film Festival Semifinalists and participants in the Sundance Episodic Lab in multiple years. They just honestly inspire me, and I hope to continue learning from them for many years to come.

Website: https://www.jennyestridge.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_estrojen/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferestridge/

Other: My pure art account on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/estrojenart/?hl=en