In Feature 033 of Conversations Behind The Campaign, we sat down with Jasmine Dowling, an Australian creative known for her hands-on approach to both motion and still work. Over the past decade, Jasmine has carved out a distinct and recognisable style, producing content for Aesop, Cartier, Crown Affair, and Gucci Beauty, to name just a few.
In our conversation, Jasmine shares why she believes in creating more than consuming, the risks of becoming overly influenced, and the importance of finding fulfilment outside of paid creative work. We delve into how she’s refined her craft over time and why, in creative industries, the process often matters just as much as the final product.
For those who might be new to your work, how would you define what you do?
I would say I am a multi-disciplinary artist who blends design, styling, photography and videography to create artful and creative still and motion work.
Did you always have a love for the arts and visual storytelling, or did that evolve over time?
I have always loved creating with my hands even when I was a child. When starting my bachelor degree, I didn’t really mind what field of work I went into as long as it meant creating something which makes sense that my career now is combining a lot of different creative practices.
Landing your first job in the industry is often the hardest part. How did you build up your career to the point of working with brands like Gucci Beauty, Cartier, Crown Affair, and Aesop?
I started working for myself in 2013 when it felt like social media was starting to break down the traditional networking systems in the creative industry. It is even more the case now but I was able to create and share my work to a wide audience and potential clients. In regards to building my career I think consistency, curiosity and valuing personal projects has helped long term. My focus has always been the work itself. No matter the client I always want to do the best work that I can while keeping a balance between client and personal work to make sure I am always evolving.
What’s your process when conceptualising a shoot from start to finish? Do you start with a specific image or “story” in mind you want to communicate?
I always start by looking for connections within a brief. That could be a connection to a colour, shape, experience or even format. Starting there always helps guide me in building the visual story. Depending on the project there will be a day or so of testing ideas physically to make sure I can execute the idea then from there I will start sourcing and photographing all visual assets that I will need for the final work. Since the final work is usually a physical animation, there is quite a lot of work in formatting imagery before heading into production.
Where do you get inspiration from?
I am always looking for connections to spark inspiration.
Your visual style is incredibly distinct, creative and entertaining. How did you learn your craft and signature style?
I think like many creative people you have an eye for what you like and your skills are forever chasing your eye, trying to live up to work you think is ‘good’. I have never been too strict with my creative interests. I started purely working within a design/illustration space however when I felt drawn to photography, I let myself lean into that. Then a curiosity and complete naivety around videography took over which I think combined got me to the work I am creating now.
“Working in a medium that is foreign to you is a great way of exercising your personal creative eye because you often have to rely on instinct rather than knowledge.”
What has been your favourite project to date, and why?
The project that comes to me immediately is a recent video I created for Aesop with my mum and 90yr old grandma. It was an idea I had in my mind since I had watched my grandma prune her roses the year prior and I just knew Aesop would be the perfect brand to bring it to life with (luckily they were on board!).
“It was so special to me to honour the hands that raised me and include them within my work.”
How long does a typical project take from concept to execution?
It varies a lot depending on the project but usually around 2 weeks from start to finish. Definitely not a fast process by any means.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
I always start my day with any urgent emails to help clear that area of my mind before switching all notifications off. Then my days are usually spent in three different ways depending what stage of my process I am in. If I am at the beginning of the process I will brainstorm in the morning and test prototypes in the afternoon. Once I get concept approval my day moves into the studio to style and photograph product before editing in the afternoon. However, more often than not my days are spent formatting, printing, cutting and animating physically, then filming that. I am more of a morning person so I like to move any post production or editing to the afternoon/night. I finish the day checking in on the inbox again to see what I have missed.
Freelancing – and working in a creative field – can be a balancing act between having the space and time to create art whilst remaining commercial. How do you balance this?
For me I don’t like to put pressure on my client work to fill every creative bucket. I am very lucky with my client work however at the same time I know the work is for them and their objectives so it is about doing the most I can within any limitations. It can be challenging to say no to work as a freelancer but I am trying to put better boundaries in for myself to make sure I keep time aside for personal work to fill up my creative bucket at the same time.
How do you deal with feedback, online criticism, or creative burnout? Do these things affect how you view your work?
I have realised that the part of my work that I enjoy the most is the making of the work so I try not to hold onto the finished work too closely if people like it, love it or hate it. The end result of any creative work is so subjective so feedback doesn’t feel personal and more about meeting someone else’s objectives. As long as I enjoyed the process of making it, that’s all I can hope for.
What has been the biggest challenge in your career and what advice would you share with someone going through something similar?
As a creative who shares their work online, it has always been hard to avoid comparison and insecurity. It has been so important over the last decade or so to really focus on my own work and what I want to do and block out everything else.
“With social media, I share more than I consume to avoid being too influenced or falling into a trap of self-doubt.”
In terms of defining success in my creative business I stand firmly in how that looks for me even though it may not be traditional. It is really important to be self-aware of what you’re truly doing it all for and try your best to stay focused on that.
Are there any individuals you look up to for both creative and career inspiration?
I am not thinking of starting a haircare brand however the first person that comes to mind is Dianna Cohen and what she has built with Crown Affair. The intention, care and artful approach is inspiring to me and you can tell that is true from product to marketing. This might be biased because they are a client of mine but I couldn’t be more of a fan.
Where can our audience follow and engage with you on social media?
I am @jasminedowling on Instagram and @jasmine_dowling on TikTok
