Next Creative Leaders 2021:
Jackie Jinse Moran

Pronouns:

She / Her / Hers

Hometown and country:

Tampa, FL - United States

Current employer, city and role:

Global Creative Lab at TikTok, NYC, Art Director/Creative

How did your upbringing, family or hometown shape you as a creative?

Growing up, I have always been around art and design. My mom is an artist, muralist, interior designer, and florist– she sort of does it all. She has always inspired me with her projects and I have a lot of memories helping her work during my summer breaks. Also, being mixed race has always put me in a unique position in life where I have had to forge my own identity, which has sort of allowed me to move between different worlds.

What’s your “breaking into advertising” story?

I attended a portfolio school in New York and our last semester was dedicated to internships. My partner and I knew that it would be competitive to get the Droga5 internship, so we decided to make a mini campaign targeted solely towards the recruiter at Droga5. It was actually kind of creepy and it’s a bit embarrassing now, but it did get the attention of Adweek and landed us the internship.

What’s the piece of NCL winning work you’re most proud of and why?

This would have to be The New York Times "Life needs truth" campaign. My partner and I had been working on the Times for over two years at that point and there was a lot of pressure to follow up the "The truth is worth it" work.

We wanted to do something that felt unique and pushed the creative forward. We also started working on this very early on in the pandemic, and it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Not only was it actually figuring out the mechanics of the music, type, cadence, and how we would get it to work, but also it was the hours spent reading articles every day in order to make sure it was a fair representation of what was going on in the world at that time and how we were all feeling. It was pretty brutal to be so in-tune with the news all the time, while also living through it.

What’s the lesson another creative can take away from that successful creative experience?

I would say to always be trying to figure things out for yourself. We had no idea how the piece would come together, but on the side, we tested things out ourselves with aftereffects or filming on our iPhone. Throughout the whole process, we basically had the whole edit in google slides where we could constantly test out new photos and footage to see what worked best.

What does being named a Next Creative Leader mean to you?

It's pretty incredible. The other day I actually found a journal entry in an old notebook I had during portfolio school. It was an amazing full-circle moment to see how I felt during that time as a student. There was a lot of doubt in myself and what I could accomplish. It's a reminder to stop sometimes and allow yourself to be proud of what you've done.

Who has most influenced you in your career so far?

By far it has to be Toby Treyer-Evans and Laurie Howell. They always pushed me to think bigger, weirder, and faster. And of course my old copywriting partner Ben Brown. He's a real one.

What is your secret (or not-so-secret) creative superpower and how do you flex it?

My favorite thing to do is to catch insanely small details that are off in a piece of work. The ol' eagle eyes.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing the creative industry right now and how would you solve it?

I believe it's the crazy amount of burnout that creatives are feeling. The hours and the constant demand on top of a pandemic are too much for anyone to sustain. The only real solution can be a proper work/life balance, and people actually respecting each other's boundaries and personal life.

How has the pandemic changed your creative process or the way you work?

It's definitely not as much fun being on a Zoom shoot vs. in real life. However, I've found that it's forced me to become more independent and better at time management.

Our jobs can be exhausting even in “precedented times.” How are you caring for yourself right now?

One thing that has been nice is these cards from “We're not really strangers” that work as great prompts for journaling. Also, long walks with great playlists.

How are you working to celebrate, support, or elevate other marginalized voices and experiences?

Representation has always been important to me and making sure we're not telling the story of just one specific group. My goal has always been to make sure there is a meaning or message within my work that helps uplift or celebrates all different types of people.

Creativity can save the world. What real-world problem would you want to tackle with creativity, if time, budget, and logistics were not an issue?

There are almost too many to pick, so I will just say a lot of the problems have a root in the patriarchy.

Where do you turn when you need to spark your creativity?

Honestly, the two places I go to most for this would be Pinterest and TikTok. Also, watching people's random short films on Vimeo.

How are you leaving work, the workplace, or the world a better place than you found it?

I hope to always make things that excite people, foster an open creative space, and keep pushing media in the direction of progress.

Who is inspiring you right now and why?

#NotanAd but it has to be all the creators on TikTok. It's amazing to see so many people all over the world of different ages making so much great content. Hilarious skits, innovative transitions, camera tricks, and new forms of entertainment and community.

If you could go back in time, what pivotal advice would you give yourself before your first day as a professional creative?

Get a therapist.

Be sure to check out all the winning work for the Next Creative Leaders of 2021!

NEXT CREATIVE LEADERS 2021 ARCHIVE