How Reinvention and Fearless Exploration Shaped Her Career
At every crossroad in her career, Jac’leen Smith has chosen reinvention. From landing a dream internship at VIBE Magazine to creating a docuseries that amplifies Black women, her journey is as fearless as it is inspiring.
“I had always aspired to be a journalist,” she says. Fascinated by human-interest stories and musicians, she landed an internship at VIBE Magazine during college.
“That was the dream. I was just like, I’ll do that. And then there was a recession. It was like, no, no, I won’t.”
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Life threw a curveball, but Jac’leen did not stay off track for long. After a detour in retail, a friend helped her break into television. At VH1, she worked on shows like “I Love the 2000s” and” Behind the Music.”
It was a win, but her creative instincts pushed her toward new horizons. Around 2017, I was like, you know what? I want to pivot… expand on my interest in art.”
Her artistic curiosity led her to the Red Bull Arts, where she explored her passion for visual storytelling. But soon, the dots began to connect: “Wait, you’ve always been fascinated with people. You’ve always loved film. You’ve always loved documentary. It clicked for me. I was like, I want to now transition into documentary filmmaking.”
The transition was challenging, but Jac’leen leaned on her network and found support in Brown Girls Doc Mafia, a collective of Black and Brown women and non-binary documentary filmmakers. “I’m so grateful to her for suggesting that organization to me, because that’s how I got my first documentary job.”
The sense of community Jac’leen found within Brown Girls Doc Mafia helped her get her start in the documentary space, but the inspiration for “Dear Younger Self” came from a different place. After years of helping other companies bring narratives to life, Jac’leen realized it was time to create something of her own, something that not only amplified her voice but also uplifted the voices of others.
In 2022, she released “Dear Younger Self,” an eight-episode docuseries featuring Black women reflecting on life lessons and offering advice to their younger selves. “Black women inspire me every single day. They’re my mother. They’re my peers. They’re my best friends. They’re my sisters.”
Smith conceived the series in 2018, filming it in 2019. It was a profoundly personal endeavor born from a rough moment. “It came at a time where I was just having to make so many challenging decisions. And I was like, I wonder what would have happened if I was able to have all this knowledge when I was younger.”
Through setbacks and breakthroughs, “Dear Younger Self” turned hindsight into a powerful lens for storytelling. It became a defining chapter in Jac’leen’s career, highlighting her gift for creating stories that connect and inspire.
You can’t be afraid to fail,” she says. “Because it’s scary either way.” For Jac’leen Smith, this mindset has been key to her success. Her career, shaped by daring pivots and fearless exploration, exemplifies the strength that comes from perseverance.
“I think you have to just do it and also not judge yourself for the challenges that you might come across,” she advises. Challenges, often mislabeled as failures, are, in her view, steppingstones to growth. Jac’leen’s journey reminds us that reinvention is not about avoiding fear but embracing it, and finding the courage to move forward anyway.
Follow Jac’leen Smith’s creative journey on Instagram @sunny_josephine.
