Community Spotlight: Jay3! on Second Chances, Staying the Course & Creating in Los Angeles

For Los Angeles creative Jamil “Jay3!” Powell, building a career behind the camera has been about more than learning how productions work.

It has also been about chances  getting them, recognizing them, and continuing to create when the spark isn't always there.

Working as an assistant director, producer, photographer, and vlogger, Jay3! describes his work simply as “an immersive experience into music video creation.”

His path into that world started as a production assistant working directly with filmmaker Spike Jonze.

The Power of Someone Giving You a Chance

When Jay3! talks about his biggest creative influences, he doesn't only talk about their work.

He talks about what they did for him.

“Spike Jonze, Dylan McGale, Supo Supreme. Each one of these people put me into a position that not only pushed my career forward but they all gave me my first CHANCE!”

Sometimes that's what a creative career needs.

Someone sees something in you before you've had the opportunity to fully prove it.

For Jay3!, those opportunities helped push his career forward and put him on a path that today has him working in production in Los Angeles.

Creating Without Losing Yourself

Building that career hasn't meant constantly feeling inspired.

Jay3! is open about one of the harder realities of working creatively: sometimes creating too much can make it harder to create at all.

“Honestly the hardest part about building my creative career was even when I felt like I couldn’t go any longer, I had to fight through whatever emotion that was hindering me at the moment.”

“Sometimes you lose that creative spark because you create ‘too much.’”

For Jay3!, the challenge has become learning how to make space for both sides of his life.

“I’d say finding that creative balance between creation & life is probably the hardest part of building a creative career.”

Finding the Right Course

Jay3! is also proud of what it took to reach this point.

There was a time when he didn't know what direction his life would take.

“At one point in my life I didn’t know what I’d be doing, hanging out with the wrong crowd. Putting myself in positions that truly wasn’t meant for me to win.”

Eventually, something changed.

“Once I figured that out everything else began to flourish.”

Rather than focusing only on where he is today, Jay3! takes pride in the obstacles he had to overcome to get here.

“Proud of the obstacles I overcame to even get this far.”

What's Next

Jay3! is currently working on Satellite as a producer and assistant director for Two Robins Studios.

And just as other creatives gave him opportunities along the way, Jay3! makes a point of recognizing the people who have been part of his journey.

He gives a big shoutout to his team at Two Robins Studios, Mark Mayr, Brandon Noel, everyone in the 2-6, K-Rav, and Fauncy.

They are, as Jay3! puts it, the people “who saw the potential and didn’t let me steer away from the course I was on.”

Jay3! + Milk Room

Jay3!'s connection to Milk Room goes back to July 2021.

“The first time I ever stepped into Milk Room was July 2021.”

That first visit also introduced him to Milk Room founder Greg Monterrosa and the idea behind the space.

“I was introduced to Greg who not only explained his vision for Milk Room, but also his vision for each individual creator to have a place to come create.”

Five years later, Jay3!'s description of what Milk Room means to him gets pretty close to what we've always wanted it to be.

“To me Milk Room means a creative place that is open for you to explore the possibilities, a safe haven for creators alike & indifferent.”

From getting his own first chances to finding his direction and continuing to create through the moments when inspiration isn't easy, Jay3!'s story is a reminder of what can happen when somebody sees your potential and you decide to keep going.

Follow Jay3! on Instagram and TikTok at @onemanjay3.