Positively Beautiful with Jarry Lee
It is one of those inspiring tales. A crafty girl procures coveted journalist job at BuzzFeed, then finds herself on the other side of the screen pursuing her passion for the art of content creation and storytelling. So how did the multitalented artist — Jarry Lee — achieve her ascendence to the top? Lee talks to Bode about the arts that fueled her life’s path, being a creative chameleon, and the shifting of diversity in a less than conventional industry.
Photographer: Kourosh Sotoodeh
Actress. Model. Musician. Modern-day influencer… Jarry Lee, small she may be, wears a lot of hats in her professional and personal life; and she has no intention of slowing down. Formerly the deputy editor at media hub, BuzzFeed, the social media maven has made a name for herself in the art and entertainment scene amassing over 850,000 followers across her various platforms and channels. Bode got the chance to sit down with Lee to talk about influencing during quarantine and how she has been able to build such a massive brand for herself from the ground up.
In three words Jarry Lee is a “driven, creative chameleon” — able to adapt to every artistic situation and style needed in order to spread her message and create content. “I’ve been passionate about many areas of the arts and that is what has fueled my life path,” begins the artist. Lee is a full time model, actress, musician and social media influencer with a following that is to be envied. Based in New York city and an NYU alum, the creative grew up between Wales, England and Connecticut. “I was a deputy editor at BuzzFeed for three and a half years covering books and culture and now I live with my boyfriend and our Bengal cat ‘Potato’, who has his own Instagram account (@potatobengal),” smiles Lee with a swipe through her furry companion’s feed. Finding relief and solace amongst the chaos of her professions, the model enjoys long distance running, playing classical piano, painting, cooking, and baking for her food blog (@cookingwithjarry). Proving even more that Lee is an artist who wears dozens, if not hundreds, of hats.
Of course, the biggest chapeau that Lee wears is that of an entertainer. Never considering the entertainment industry as an accessible career path, she noted moments of her childhood observing the scarcity of Asian models, or people who looked like her, in television and film. “Thankfully the industry has begun to change and has become more representative and accepting of diversity in the past few years,” acknowledges the actress, “but there is still a long way to go.” With her ever-growing global recognition and flourishing online community, Lee portrays humble gratitude saying, “I hope that my career inspires my audience to pursue their passions, and that it reminds them that they are not limited to conventional career paths.”
Photographer: Antonio Jefferson
For Lee, her journey to the spotlight had its debut during her first encounter in the professional acting scene in New York City. “I had written a play for a playwriting festival in prep school, and also took a few acting classes that I enjoyed in the past,” reminisced the actress, “so when I was experiencing a creative rut in 2017 I decided to explore New York City’s acting scene out of curiosity.” With a quick start in commercial work, the actress soon after added modeling to her repertoire first walking in New York Fashion Week in honor of the #MeToo Movement. “It started as a hobby on the side for fun,” admits Lee with a beholden smile, “but when I began booking more and more shoots with bigger brands, I left my job at BuzzFeed and my career in media to pursue it full time and haven’t looked back since.” Having worked a lot of gigs and garnered great exposure, the actress also noticed her followers climb as her career took off. Proving she is much more than just a pretty face, Lee has also been asked to curate digital content for an array of brands, and even recently found herself back into producing music.
Known by many for her social media prowess, Lee is the first to admit that the benefits of digital media know no bounds. “Social media has made it easier and more accessible than ever before to create one’s own career path,” states the modern-day influencer. “There is no better time to explore your passions and interests with the self-marketing and networking opportunities that social media provides — for free!” Many industries have shown transformation in positive ways to become more inclusive and empowering, encouraging young women to pursue leadership positions and entrepreneurship. “So, my advice,” begins Lee, “is that if your dream job doesn’t exist, you can create it.” A passionate advocate for non-traditional career paths, Lee encourages others to not be afraid of the uncertainty of it all – “if you are determined and hard-working, the rewards will likely outweigh any risk.” “I feel very fortunate to be my own boss,” shares Lee, “and I love defining my own schedule and choosing which projects to take on. I think the freedom to pursue only what I’m interested in and excited about is incredibly empowering. I truly love every piece of work that I do and I feel more creatively energized every day.”
Needless to say, with hundreds of thousands of eyes watching her every moment, Lee takes her position on authenticity and health very seriously. “I don’t believe it’s possible to be genuinely happy if you are not genuine to yourself,” claims Lee. Living for herself and not others, the content creator casts her online persona as a brand rather than a reflection of herself. “I’m happy people are interested in following along on my journey, but at the end of the day, my lifestyle is for me.” Touching on her personal value that good health and staying grounded are essential to what she does, Lee surrounds herself with friends and loved ones who have known and supported her throughout her many life changes.
“if your dream job doesn’t exist, you can create it.”
Photographer: Balthier Corfi
Following along for more than a look into-her-life, Lee is also watched for her impeccable fashion sense and her drive to express herself. “To me, fashion is a form of self-expression and it can truly be an art form at its best,” admires the model. “My personal style is all about big statement pieces, especially statement jewelry,” Lee continues, “and I look for interesting structure, textures, bold patterns, fringe, flowy fabrics, tulle, and dramatic shoulder silhouettes. I like when clothes surprise me!” Believing that fashion should delight, Lee opts for the more playful, less serious approach to wearable self-expression. Of course, no fashion conversation is complete without pausing to take a look at beauty and makeup. Lee’s cannot-be-without beauty item is Glossier’s Boy Brow and she definitely airs on the side of a bold eye over a bold lip. “Eye shadows are fun to play with and layer,” states the model, “and I love creating editorial eye looks.”
Her knowledge of makeup application and knack for styling has come in handy as of late, seeing as shooting with photographers has had its challenges for models and artists everywhere during the pandemic. For Lee, becoming her own photographer during this time was a must. “I rarely work with photographers directly anymore and instead have learned to shoot myself,” shares the artist. “I’ve become much more self-sufficient.” Finding and embracing the positives of the last year’s quarantine, the creator invested in professional lighting and photography equipment, even a green screen, and used her time to further hone her skills. “I hope to continue learning and growing those skills,” continues Lee, “and now I often work as my own photographer, videographer, hair/makeup artist, wardrobe stylist, and set designer, in addition to being the model or actor.” Further fueling her ambition, no matter the challenges dealt, Lee is inspired by the frenetic energy of her home in NYC. “It’s amazing to be surrounded by people who are just as hungry to achieve their dreams as I am.”
As if her resume was not quite big enough, the model and actress is keen on adding designer and founder to her notable titles, revealing to us her big plans to launch her own jewelry brand, PSYCHO KITSCH, in 2021; while also working on writing and recording new music to be released on Spotify. A cause close to her heart, the media mogul also plans to continue supporting wildlife and art organizations whenever she can. “I hope I’m able to volunteer at animals shelters again once the pandemic is over,” stated Lee before finishing our conversation with these final words: “[I am most unapologetic for] myself. I embrace and love who I am and I don’t live with any past regrets because I love where I am today. And if there is one thing you take away from this interview, it really should be that my cat, Potato, is the cutest thing in the world and you should immediately follow him on Instagram.”
Photographer: Ksenia Kolesov
“I hope that my career inspires my audience to pursue their passions, and that it reminds them that they are not limited to conventional career paths.”