Meet Jae Manifest | Artist, Photographer, Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jae Manifest and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jae, how does your business help the community?
Ryyse Creations is not only a business that allows me to create and express myself but it’s supposed to foster positive change starting with the community and then hopefully the world. The overall goal of Ryyse Creations is to get people to reconnect with nature and to realize how we are all connected. I believe that if people reconnect with nature they will gain a new understanding and respect for everything in life. A lot of people are struggling in so many ways and I think reconnecting with nature will really help people pursue the best quality of life.

Initially in 2017, I started the first version of Ryyse as a way to share my nature and travel photography but I realized I could do much more and felt I was limiting myself. I realized I wanted to create, inspire, and educate and what better way to do it than by being creative. Ryyse Creations has evolved to what it is today so I can transfer all of my experiences and learning into my business through my visual art and education services. I produce work that focuses on environment, mental health, and youth based issues. In college, I studied sociology with a focus on the environment and psychology so I like to use that to fuel my creative process.

Ryyse creates the most impact through education services and outreach that’s done through our interactive community called the “Ryyse Family.” Currently Ryyse Creations offers blogs, podcasts, and articles to help foster conversations about environment, mental health, and youth based issues. The way we educate is designed to help people pursue a better quality of life, become more self-sustainable, and encourage people to question everything. The blogs and podcasts “Manifest’s Digest” is designed to allow people to be involved in the conversations and learn from each other.

The Ryyse Family was created to turn conversations into actions, it’s a community of people who actively combat or display value in environment, mental health, and youth based issues. The Ryyse Family is a community of people trying to realize our connections and pursue the best quality of life. Ryyse is not just a word but a call to action, one that people can get behind and be passionate about. Ryysing (rising) is all about coming together and doing what is right for the collective. People who Ryyse do things like explore nature respectfully, strive to be the best version of themselves everyday, keep going when things get hard, lead by example, speak for those who can’t or won’t speak for themselves, and much more. Both the education and outreach focus on allowing you to learn, grow, and be a part of something bigger than yourself. I took a lot of time last year to step back and make sure my mission is understood. I really look forward to this year because I have laid some stones to create a foundation to something beautiful.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think what sets me apart from other artists is how many different mediums I’m able to use at a high level, the types of messages I include in my art, and the way I execute those messages. Everytime I create an art piece, whether it is a painting, drawing, photography, or a piece of clothing. I like hiding messages in my artworks, putting little details that you must highly analyze or decode. In addition, besides just creating the art I like writing stories or content that goes with the art to help make it even more powerful.

Creating a business this dynamic is definitely really hard and I’m nowhere near close to where I want to be. There have been many challenges along the way and things I wish I knew. I learn more everyday about the business process and things I can improve, the most important lesson I’ve learned is just how much ahead of time you need things ready. You cannot release things last minute or put things out fast, you have to be patient and meticulous. Some artworks, articles, edits, and products just take long to produce. With many services, avenues of expression, and things to work on I’ve learned a lot about time management, being heavily organized, and preparing properly for some of my big ideas. I still run my business alone so it’s been a very valuable learning process.

I want people to know that my story is what makes this business what it is. Ryyse is a reflection of me, what I’ve been through, what I’ve learned, and what I value. It is different from other businesses because it is mission based and provides so much value through the different services. Ryyse is meant to empower and inspire the collective to create drastic positive change. Ryyse Creations is bigger than myself and I want you to get that feeling in my art

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had a friend in town on vacation I would make sure that they get the best balance of nature and city experiences because that’s what I do when I’m traveling. When it comes to nature experiences, I would have to take them hiking so we can check out views and explore the different life forms along the way. I’d also make sure at some point we are near water because I feel like that’s one of the best parts about being outside. We would definitely have to do a photoshoot in nature or the city.

When it comes to the city experiences, I’d focus on eating a lot of good food and going to some cool creative spaces in the city. I feel like riding the lightrail is a part of the Denver experience so one of the days we’d travel around on the lightrail. I would take them to some of my favorite taco trucks in my neighborhood, Denver Biscuit Company, and my favorite boba place. We’d have to go to the Rino art district to check out the murals and go to the Infinite Monkey Theorem for wine. I’d also show them around 16th street mall, Broadway street and Colfax. Those areas really are staples in the Metro area. The last thing I would do is show them some of the best black owned, local, small owned businesses.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to Athletics & Beyond. Athletics & Beyond is one of the organizations I was a part of in high school as a student athlete. I worked with them through college and still work with them today. They are a Denver based organization that teaches life beyond sports to many student athletes in different sports. During my time as a teen the organization allowed me to volunteer, gave me mentors and role models, and allowed me to learn skills that were valuable far beyond sports.

During one of my breaks back from college I was volunteering for Athletics & Beyond and one of my mentors introduced me to a man that was a catalyst to a drastic change in my life. He asked me about college, my major, and what I wanted to do with that major like most people. I told him and he told me to change major because he believed that I could do what I was telling him without a degree in that area. He told me “You’re getting some of your school paid for, do something that gives you new possibilities, and figure out what you’re passionate about.” This day changed my life, I changed my major the next semester and started going back to creating because I was able to realize what I was passionate about. Without different interactions like this I wouldn’t be where I’m at. I love Athletics & Beyond, they have been changing lives for years, they gave me mentors and father figures. I’m able to go back and teach life beyond sports to kids who are kids just like me.

Website: ryysecreations.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryyse_creations/

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Ryyse-Creations-104953984984808/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbeL31Z69uorQy7buxxnReA

Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5fznD3Hc6NPe_8ANlWGteA

Image Credits
The first photo is by Dylan Grange