Meet Jewel Mensah | Author & Artist, Change Agent

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

Hi Jewel, do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted?

A piece of conventional advice I disagree with is, “Do what you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” While I agree with the sentiment, I believe the advice does a disservice to those who need it most. That tends to be those who are underserved, underrepresented, and often overlooked. In my experience, doing what I love has often been borne out of a lot of work. Sometimes, even meeting the challenge of beginning anew can be a lot of work. My advice instead is to work toward what you love, and with the right approach, you’ll love the work you put in. What does the right approach mean? That’s up to you to define.

Generally, however, it should make sense for your circumstances and who you understand yourself to be. In the time I’ve spent working with other entrepreneurs, artists, creatives, and colleagues in professional services, those that love what they do put in a lot of work.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I enjoy photographing people and spaces wherever they may be. Most of my work is aligned to fine art photography in the portraiture and documentary style, with some landscape and architecture experience. I strive to explore work centered around textual relationships with the body and the moments that shape our day-to-day. I am most excited about my latest work, Reflections of Intimacy. It is my first self-published book and was recently selected as a Category Finalist for the 2022 Eric Hoffer Award. I’d love to expand my work, and I’m currently looking to collaborate with other artists, creatives, and brands to bring bold invigorating ideas to life. My journey hasn’t been easy. As an independent artist and recent author, I have to be able to juggle the various aspects of creating and publishing work. I’ve overcome the challenges by being disciplined about my practice. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned along my journey so far is to sit in my joy whenever I can. Creating new artwork comes with its challenges, and I know that I’m just getting started. I want to keep growing, keep pushing the envelope, and have exciting plans to share more art with the world. The best way to get updates is via my newsletter, which you can subscribe to for free and learn more about my work on my website: https://jewelmensah.com.

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?
Los Angeles is filled with many historical and cultural spots. I love being outdoors, so some of the places I’d take them are hiking in the San Gabriel mountains and perhaps dinner at Jon and Vinny’s. Echo Park Lake is a welcoming place to spend an afternoon, while the Ace Hotel also has a great rooftop bar and an even better ambiance of DTLA at night. Then there are the beaches, from South Bay to Malibu, there’s a little something for everyone. We could grab a bite at Canter’s Deli on Fairfax, and of course, no California trip is complete without driving the Pacific Coast Highway. While each visitor would have their own ideal Los Angeles trip, I love to eat so would probably end the trip with dinner at Bacari or a home-cooked meal.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

My list of people to recognize is quite long but I can try to keep it short for this shoutout. Outside of my family, friends, and support system, I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to three people and one organization. The first is Sid Lemelle, my mentor and a three-time winner of the Wig Distinguished Professor Award for Excellence in Teaching at Pomona College. Sid never hesitated to share his wisdom, and I will forever be grateful for his guidance. The second person is Jennifer Friedlander, my advisor and an acclaimed author engaging at the intersection of psychoanalytic theory and cultural studies. Jennifer is the Edgar E. and Elizabeth S. Pankey Professor of Media Studies at Pomona College and has continuously supported my endeavors both in and out of the institution. The third person to shout out is Bob Moczydlowsky, a mentor and one of the best in the business. Bob is the Managing Director at Techstars Music in addition to being an instructor for the Masters of Entertainment Industry Management program at Carnegie Mellon University. Bob recognized something in me at the onset and helped me understand risk within the entrepreneurial ecosystem and beyond. Last but not least is the Posse Foundation, whose commitment to developing the next generation of leaders has been rewarding to experience and be part of.

Although I had zero credit, they spent a little credit on me, and I hope I can pass that on someday.

Website: https://jewelmensah.com/

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jwlm__