Meet Julia Harris | Creative Entrepreneur

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

Hi Julia, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
That’s a great question! I’d say I’m inspired by everything around me. I feel so lucky to be born in the smartphone era because I’m constantly snapping photos of font types, unique colors, cool new brands, etc. I write lists or quick video ideas that pop into my head, shazam songs I overhear, and use google/chatgpt. I’m currently really into Taschen books and there’s a store nearby I skate to when I need inspiration. If you’re not familiar, they are these really big books on a specific topic, such as “Andy Warhol” or “70’s advertisements” which contain a few quotes, but mostly just big, beautiful images. I adore these books! The last time I was there they offered me a job because I hang out there so often hahaha. Something else that inspires me is Instagram. Instagram allows me one degree of separation from the people and work I look up to the most. My feed consists of video creators, photographers, travelers, drone operators, and, of course, rollerbladers. Although screen time hurts productivity, if used in moderation, it fuels me to aspire to hit the amazing peaks that my favorite DP’s, directors, and artists are reaching. It’s so exciting what creatives are doing! Finally, I owe a lot of my inspiration to friends and the kindness of strangers.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I run a full-service media agency specializing in commercials, event recaps, and music videos. We additionally handle photography and specialized products such as drone work, calendars, and poster art. Our mission is to shock, delight, unite, and inspire. There isn’t anything we can’t produce and I’m having a lot of fun with that. What sets me apart is when I find something new that I love I’ll spend hours learning it, mastering it, and then integrating it into a new project. I just love what I do dude!

I can’t wrap my head around all the exciting things I have lined up for 2024, but I am strapped in for the ride! In January, I produced an eight-course web series for a health and wellness coach in Joshua Tree that I’ll take the lead on post-production for soon. In February, I am shooting a destination wedding in Cabo and have the opportunity to bring on a great friend and photographer/filmmaker from my home state Kentucky to spearhead the photo portion. Finally, in the spring, I’m releasing the music video Map Maker for Deric Trotter I directed in December, images of a merch photoshoot for We Explore Earth, album art for Matt Strasser, and I’ll be returning to shoot Beachlife and Joshua Tree music festival. Are you kidding me?! I feel so lucky.

I’m also super excited to talk about something new I’ve been keeping under wraps! In February, Alaina Booth, another Los Angeles video director, and I will be launching a monthly meetup group called Femme Creatives Connect. We envision this meetup to be attended by women creatives to participate in thought provoking discussions and engaging creative activities, hold career conversations, and hopefully begin creative endeavors with each other (and us). I’m celebrating two years of living in LA in February (2024) and since I moving I’ve been looking for a space to meet other creative women. I’ve had a difficult time connecting in spaces currently available such as bars, parks, etc haha. Trust me I’ve tried. At the end of the day this group is important to me personally so my friends, family, and dates can stop listening to me relentlessly discuss creative career related things with them hahaha. I would love for you to join if this sounds interesting to you IG: @femmecreativesconnect.

Some lessons I’ve learned: 1) be relentless 2) shear persistence + patience + good timing + being good = the path to greatness 3) yes, following your passion defines you as a person 4) you make the rules 5) nobody is going to take care of you except you

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.
If you were my best friend coming to visit a week before your arrival you would receive a text from me asking if you rollerskate or rollerblade. Blading is the best thing to do in LA and mostly what I do when I’m not working (shoutout LA Skate Hunnies!).

My favorite spots to blade in LA: Venice Beach, the Inglewood Pump track and skate park, downtown, and La Brea Park. For my birthday this past year, I had a skate party with all of my friends both skaters and nonskaters. It was such a blast. We jam-skated in the Venice sunset and then I led a rollout down the beachside pathway with speakers full blast.

Food recs: Egg Tuck, La Brea Ramen and Sushi, any taco truck. Thrifting: crossroads and out of the closet. If I’m going out you’ll catch me in Venice or the Classic Cat in Weho <3.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be the person I am without the guidance and encouragement of a thousand invisible helping hands. My family has always been an advocate to set me up for success, and they still do through their support, love, and Facetimes. Shoutout to my parents for demonstrating and giving me my entrepreneurial spirit, my grandfather for being the coolest person to exist, and my grandmother for encouraging me to keep my wits keen. Shoutout to all my aunts and uncles for being so badass. Shoutout TLS, who taught me courage, curiosity, and the ability to learn. My coaches taught me the importance of practice and tenacity. My friends, both new and old, for constantly supporting my work. My college employer and first mentor Wayne Cross went above and beyond to encourage my fledgling passion for filmmaking. The sunny shores of Lake Wylie taught me leadership and now the West Coast, where I currently live, teaching me to embrace myself as an artist. Shoutout to anyone who has had the patience to teach me something new. I didn’t study film in school, so every person who took a moment to explain something camera-related to me is golden. Finally, shout out to me for trying every day to be a little better than the person I was yesterday.

Website: https://www.thisisjuliaharris.com/

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/

Image Credits
Photos by @cameron_imani, @madewildcreative, @justbrianwu, @jmdoomedia