NYC Content Creator, Artist, and Designer: Justin P. Etienne
May 2023 | Q&A with Justin P. Etienne
We sat down with NYC Content Creator, Artist, and Designer, Justin Etienne, to dig deeper into his life and experiences.
Q: In your own words, who is Justin Etienne?
A: My name is Justin P. Etienne, I’m 26 years old and from Brooklyn, NY, and I’m a multifaceted creative who values individualism and creative freedom. As an artist, I’ve maximized most of my time in fashion design because it is a medium that has allowed me to get most in tune with myself while building many bridges to other spaces.
I’m pretty well balanced, I can be real laid back, but I also have a real outgoing personality. I’m an adventurous individual, I love R&B Music, I play basketball, and I enjoy laughing with my people.
Q: How are you defining happiness these days, and what makes you the happiest?
A: Happiness is all about living in your truth with no remorse. I’ve realized I don’t need to always follow and adopt traditional concepts in order to find joy in my life.
“Spending time with people who reciprocate the love you give and value you for who you are is a powerful thing.”
Since the pandemic, I’ve learned that I have everything I have in my life because that’s my capacity for what I can have. I’ve been happier making the best of what I have in my life as opposed to chasing what I think I need. Oftentimes we tend to put a value on everything outside ourselves and don’t put as much value on the inside.
I also find I am happiest when I spend time feeding my inner child. Making time for “play” improves our personal health and relationships and allows us to be more innovative.
Q: What are you most excited about with life right now?
A: There’s so much to be excited about for real. Ever since I started spending more time alone, I’ve been able to trust my intuition more, which makes a big difference in everything I do.
I’m most excited about seeing new creative spaces evolve due to the fact that more people want to live in their truth. I honestly want to be at the forefront of connecting dots in ways people could never imagine through art, music, and design.
I’m also excited about creating with no restriction, so as of lately, I have been working on my collection for my brand JPE NY and an R&B music album simultaneously because they both fuel each other.
Lastly, I’m excited to create more opportunities for my people and for those who are less fortunate than myself.
Q: Who is your hero today? If we asked 10-year-old Justin the same question, what would they say?
A: My Mom is my hero, and I believe I’d say the same when I was 10. She honestly laid down the foundation for me to express myself growing up. She also expressed how important it is for me to do what makes me happy and also appreciate the little things in life.
One of the main reasons why I go so hard is because I’ve watched my mother work so hard to give me a good life growing up, and I want to provide that same value for her and other people across the world. She also showed me how important it is to express my Gratitude to those who take the time out to help me. Even if it’s something small…
“There’s nothing like creating a safe haven for yourself and your loved ones…So my Mom is and will forever be my hero.”
Q: What are you most proud of yourself for?
A: I’m proud of not giving up during my darkest times. There were many moments when I wanted to walk away because of my circumstances.
However, as time went on, I’ve grown to realize that I am not my circumstances, and all my experiences are lessons that allow me to learn more about myself and the world.
Being a creative artist is not easy; there is a lot of vulnerability that comes with it, but I’ve learned that I am most fluid when I’m creating from a place of love and not fear.
Q: What stage of creating your brand was the hardest to overcome? How do you feel now after this accomplishment?
A: That’s a great question. Honestly, I’d say trying to work at a pace that didn’t work for me. I was really burnt out during and after the pandemic because I felt the need to catch up on the time that I lost…
However, I had to make mistakes and learn that success comes from actually creating freely and working at my own pace.
Most people don’t know this, but there was a point where I was getting really sick, and it was interfering with my goals… I was getting a lot more orders for the brand, but my health wasn’t the best… It didn’t make sense to me, so I turned inward and created a new system that allows me to enjoy what I do and prioritize my physical and mental health.
I feel at ease, and I’ve been moving with my grace in everything that I do. I feel like the world is finally getting a glimpse of what JPE NY stands for.
“We have to remember that we are the asset, and we have to treat our minds, bodies, and souls like temples.”
Q: Who would play you in a movie based on your life?
A: That’s a hard question; not gonna lie. Ironically, I was always open to acting, so I’d be open to playing myself.
I rock with Jabari Banks from the show “Bel Air” & Damson Idris from Snowfall.
Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received that you’d like to pass on?
A: My fashion drawing teacher, Mrs. Murphy, always taught me that you have to be able to adapt to anything thrown at you, like water. Water will find any way to go through, over around anything to keep flowing. You can literally make anything out of nothing and build a whole community with your creative ideas.
Mrs. Murphy is one of the biggest reasons why I’ve come this far, and I will always express my gratitude to her.
Q: What does giving back mean to you & and how can you use your platform to impact people and our planet?
A: Giving back is honestly about creating value for people and packaging it in a way where they are able to run off and build off of their own templates to improve their lives… I love seeing people flourishing and doing what they love because oftentimes, our tribulations can hinder us…
I’m utilizing my platform to motivate the youth culture to tap into their inner child through art and design. I want to show the world that we all deserve to be happy, express ourselves freely, and also show people that their ideas matter.
I will be hosting more in-person events and providing a lot more value on my YouTube channel as well to show the raw process behind everything I do.
Lastly, giving back is also providing a sense of hope for people to continue to follow their dreams and live in their purpose.
