Creative Conversations: Jay Swanson
Author and content creator Jay Swanson on making childhood movies with a VHS camcorder, choosing creative freedom over stability, and embracing life in Paris.
I learned about Jay Swanson back when I was looking to learn about creatives who had moved to France, and his book was recommended by a now-mutual friend. I quickly learned that Jay is a Paris know-it-all (I mean that in the best way). He spends his life interacting with the city, and it’s a beautiful thing to see. Over time, he’s become a good friend, and beyond being a Paris insight, he’s tapped into so many fun and creative areas of life! He has a great Paris guide, and I’ve even had the pleasure of making a cameo in one or more of his YouTube videos about the city.
Who are you and how would you describe your creative work?
Hi! I’m Jay, an author and content creator with a focus on... my life? It’s hard to parse really, lifestyle and travel with a healthy dose of “What’s it like to live in Paris?”
What key moment would you say reflects your creative journey?
That time I was nine years old and making my first movie with classmates about Jason and the Argonauts. Directing a bunch of ADHD kids, filming on a VHS camcorder, sprinting home after every take to review the shot, stopping the tape at the right spot, and sprinting back uphill to corral everyone to get the next one. I think it was a decent sign of my tenacity and tolerance for crappy workflows from the start.
When you were younger, what career did you think you’d have?
I’ve always wanted to be a storyteller. For most of my life that was specifically in the vein of making movies, but as I got older and discovered how much I enjoyed writing, I dove deep into taking the fiction in my head and setting it on the page. Video has always been in there though, and I think kid Jay would be pretty psyched to find out he would end up doing it full time.
Are there moments when you wish you had a 9-5?
When dealing with payroll stress or French bureaucracy, yes. Also the idea of having paid vacation sounds mysterious and wonderful. But I’d never be able to trade the freedom I’ve built for myself.
What or who inspires you to keep going?
Sheer stubbornness and self loathing were pretty key for a long time. It’s easier to keep going when you can consistently invalidate your own pain. Of course that isn’t sustainable or recommended, so now I follow the north star of the dreams I believe I’ll be able to attain if I just stick with it a little longer.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Take better care of yourself. You’re worth it. It sucks that no one did it for you before, but you aren’t doing yourself any favors by waiting for it to happen to you. You will need to grieve, but you will thank yourself as soon as you put some consistent effort into it. Also it’s going to suck so just be ready. But, again, you’re worth it.
If you could collaborate with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
I’d really like to figure out what kind of magic Rasputin really had on hand if any, but that’s not all that productive. If I could collaborate with anyone? Apple or Samsung (free agent for now, fellas, but act fast!).
What does a perfect day look like to you?
Parisian Saturdays are hard to beat. Coffee with friends that turns into lunch with friends that turns into another coffee and apéro and dinner and then drinks and all before you’ve realized any time has passed at all.
Where can people find out more about you and your work?
“Jay Swanson” on your platform of choice will probably do the trick, but I’m always most partial to YouTube.