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Life & Work with Jenny Free of Atlanta


Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Free

Hi Jenny, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
As a child , I was always into anime . The first time I read my first official manga was in about 4th grade. My friend had brought a manga in and I was immediately fascinated. And that’s where it all really started. Fast forward to 8th grade and I attended my first anime convention , Anime Weekend Atlanta. That’s when I first got to really see cosplayers in their element and doing their thing and I was awestruck . Seeing people bring some of my favorite characters to life and seeing everyone have so much fun doing it , like I just was thinking “I HAVE to do that.” I didn’t get the actual confidence to start wearing makeup and cosplay until I got to college , though . College is when I finally started to dabble in makeup and did my first official cosplay at Dragon Con in about 2014. But I felt so bad and so ugly and stupid compared to everyone else cosplaying that I actually cried and went in the bathroom to change out of it . I wasn’t very confident at that time of my life . For awhile , I just stuck to experimenting with makeup and got really into “ulzzang” makeup which is a Korean makeup style. I was also inspired by J-fashion styles . I made an Instagram (my account started out with the name “JunjouJenny” )and would post my makeup looks and outfits , there. I started cosplaying more as my confidence started to grow and then I started to even create my own OCs as my makeup skills grew . And now , I seem to be most well known for my McDonald’a OC named Ryouka. Which absolutely tickles me pink because never did I expect that cosplay to be what put me on the cosplay map !

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not at all. Just like with any other community ,the cosplay community is not without its faults . There is racism, elitism , bullying , etc. I got called many slurs and gotten threats every now and again . But I’ve never let the negativity stop me . I would at first cry often and feel hurt but now , I just laugh and roll my eyes and move along . People being hateful for no reason isn’t going to kill my stride .

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Funnily enough , most of my work history is with animals . I’ve worked as a dog handler , pet sitter /dog walker , kennel tech, vet tech. I LOVE animals. Grew up wanting to work with them . But life doesn’t always go the way we planned in our heads. I’ve also always loved art . Was always the quiet art kid sketching during every class or any down time I could get . I’ve also done several random jobs that everyone always gets confused by . It’s quite funny, actually. Everyone thinks that I’m a makeup artist or a model because of my cosplay page on IG and I’ll be like nope! Haha! I’m a custodian at a school! Or I’m a brand ambassador at Stranger Things: The Experience! I’m working at the zoo! Like I’m all over the place haha

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
What has worked well for me is going to events. Events that have to do with your interests . I’ve met and made soooo many connections by just going to events , big or small . It really sometimes does come down to who you know ! You make one connection at an event , and that can lead to 5 more. You’d be surprised how small the world can be and who you come meet . Suddenly you can go from going to an EDM event and making a connection , to being invited to private events with big name people in the spheres you have interest in . It is quite crazy how that can go .

Contact Info:

Image Credits
@zoyoursmiles
@cloud9.visuals
@mint_eye_photography

(All IG handles)

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