Jazmine Bunch of Atlanta on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Jazmine Bunch shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Jazmine, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Creating. I could start working on something, look up from my phone or computer and realize that hours have passed. Or even going down the rabbit hole or creative concepts and projects past, that’s always such a good reminder for me that I have been in this space, I’ve done it before and just because I may not be actively creating something, I am still a creative. I think as creatives we all tend to find ourselves doubting that claim, especially when we may not have produced or created something in a while. And it always reignites something in me, like ‘yo, I did that. I am smooth with words, or nice with the camera.’ and I get to creating again. Such a beautiful cycle.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Jazmine Bunch, aka Jazzonfire, now and forever to be known as ‘your fave.’ As a Jazz-of-all-trades, I do a little bit of everything. I’m a freelance creative, part-time miracle, full-time “it” girl, and I pride myself on being a storyteller, creative and a mover and shaker; I make things happen. I’m a first-generation college graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I studied journalism and creative writing and followed the cliche of changing my major in my final undergraduate career. Shortly after graduation, I moved to Atlanta to begin my career in post-production at Warner Bros Discovery where I’ve remained since to pursue other creative endeavors, including my first novel: Anesthesia and the Blood of Jesus, published in April 2024. I’ve received recognition as one of Button Poetry’s emerging writers and one of you all’s rising stars in 2022, but my greatest honor is that of being a Kingdom Storyteller. In standing on that identity, I’ve been transitioning to the screenwriting realm with a series and a couple of short films in the works.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Ah man, I was fearless. The greatest advice I’d ever gotten was in undergrad, but I think it could really apply to life. I was told to be a ‘bright-eyed and bushy-tailed’ freshman for as long as I possibly could, because once that veil was lifted, that’s it, it’s over. And unfortunately, that veil was lifted soon into my second semester of first year, but I felt that so deeply for life. I yearn for the boldness and fearlessness that I had before being humbled by life and all its woes. Too loud, too strong, too big, too much, too eager, too country, too sassy, too smart, yet, not smart enough, not eager enough, not loud enough, not strong enough, not enough. Funny, you’d think I’d catch the fallacy that I was too much and not enough all at the same time, but that’s how tricky the identity the world gives you is. I was a fire. Fire is beautiful, it’s untouchable and it’s a force. And as fire does, it lights up, it illuminates, it captivates and consumes. Sometimes I catch myself being a semblance of the flame I used to be, but I miss the me that I was before life had the nerve to make me have some audacity.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
As a believer, I have become quite acquainted with suffering. And not only just suffering, but suffering well. The Word tells us in Romans that “we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame.” Suffering births something–some things–in you that success never could because of the muscles you have to stretch to make it to the other side of it. You can’t learn endurance if you’ve never been in a situation where you have no choice but to endure. You don’t understand the value and authenticity of your character until it’s tested. It’s very hard to grasp the true concept of hope until that’s all you’ve had to grasp on to. Suffering taught me that I’m stronger that I know, and when I’m not strong, I have a Greater Source I can lean on. It taught me that there’s value in the hard parts, because those are the processes that make us stronger, purer, better–like gold. Suffering taught me steadfastness, courage, patience, self-control, things that I don’t think could be fully exercised and stretched in a season of success.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I would like to say so. One of my favorite things about myself that has never changed is my inability to be anyone but myself. Now, who I am sometimes is a reflection of all the things going on in and around me. I’m goofy, I’m emotional, I’m passionate, I’m a softie, I’m a lover, I’m a little judgmental, I’m mouthy, I’m opinionated, I’m country, I’m a little scatter-brained, and as intelligent as I am, sometimes I can be a little air-headed. I try to show up in every public space as the real me, the only thing that changes is the fit or the hair. I just think these days I’m learning to discern and manage which parts of me are available and accessible to the public because everyone and everything doesn’t deserve to have access and intimacy with all of me.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
My spirit. I hope that, regardless of who I am, what I’ve done and what I had, people will remember the way I made them feel. The way they felt around me. My prayer and hope is that it’s all good things–we’ve all been the villain to someone–but for the most part if everything else was stripped away, my heart and my spirit would stand the test of time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jazminebunch.wordpress.com/
• Instagram: @jazzonfire / @abjnovel
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jazmine-bunch/
• Facebook: n/
• Other: Y’all can buy my book! https://abjnovel.square.site/