Hi, I’m Jasmine Thompson. I’m a creative, so creating art ALL the time. I’m quite chilled out, and very focused on what I want to do. I’m now twenty-four and based in Bristol as an illustrator and designer.
Growing up, I lived in a really small city that didn’t have a lot to offer in terms of creative opportunities. It took a full uproot to be able to situate myself somewhere my practice was taken seriously. I think overcoming this kind of thing definitely requires a lot of self-motivation and being able to be your own driving force forward. I’m within my first 3 years of working as a freelancer. There’s still so much for me to learn, and a lot of that learning is being done on the job.
I first heard about Babbasa in 2015 when I came across the SXSW apprentice experience that they were promoting. I looked into what Babbasa offered and realised that they are really doing something special. I was successful with the apprenticeship, which took me to Texas (USA)! It was a completely groundbreaking experience for me – it honestly changed my life. Being able to travel to the biggest digital festival (SXSW) in the world and work as a digital media apprentice was incredible. The experience opened my eyes to what you can do and where you can take your skills. There’s not a lot of opportunities for young people to do things like this, it’s vital for organisations like Babbasa to open the doors for young practitioners who want to do big things.
I’m really excited about my journey right now, and where I’m heading. I’m currently working on my second large scale mural this year. I really enjoy upscaling my work and going crazy with it so it’s fun doing these. I’m just trying to continue learning and to surround myself with people I can learn from – something I consider absolutely vital.
In the future, I hope my work allows me to travel and create an impact in more places and I’m ready to give it full gas to get there. If I could tell my younger self anything it is to believe in myself a bit more. I was always motivated enough to make things happen. I just never realised I would be given the platforms and opportunities to do the work I wanted to do. Oh, I would also say to my younger self – “stop drawing so many pointless celebrities” – you can do a lot more than portraits!