Meet Amanda McCreight: Creative Director & Artist

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

Hi Amanda, how do you think about risk?

Taking risks has been a pivotal player in guiding me through my life and career. There are 2 kinds of risks. Blind risk…which is throwing all your eggs in one basket and hoping for the best. And there is calculated risk: taking a chance on yourself when the timing and opportunities present themselves.

I’ve made all of the important decisions in my life based on calculated risk.

To give you the cliff notes version of my calculated risks:

– Decided to take a “1 year leave of absence” from Grad School at the Jefferson University Physician Assistant program to pursue my creativity & entrepreneurial endeavors. Instead of straight up dropping out, I kindly asked my program if they’d hold my spot for a year while I pushed forward with my start-up.   That allowed me to continue with my projects for a year and if it all else fails, I got to return the program the following year.  Everyone thought I was insane for wanting to leave this competitive program for fear that I would fall behind, but I knew that I needed to follow this pull I had towards entrepreneurship.  When they said yes, it was a win-win.  Ps. I never ended up going back to school lol

– 1 month into my leave of absence, I met Jesse Itzler. He’s an incredible entrepreneur, author and overall insane human being. In hopes that a little bit of his mindset & outlook on life would rub off on me, I took his “Build Your Life Resume” course.  When we met at his book signing, he recognized me as the youngest person in his course!  After meeting him, I decided to make a video and put together a document of my LIFE resume. Not my GPA or all the places I’ve ever worked… but a document of my values, places I’ve traveled, ideas I have and things that are important to me…and at the bottom of the document, I wrote, “This is who I am, what I can do and how I can help you.  I’m willing to Build My Life Resume in ways I don’t even know yet.”  We probably had a chain of 5 emails back and forth before I received the email that changed the trajectory of my life, “How would you feel about moving to Atlanta to work with me and my wife?” I had never been to Atlanta, I knew absolutely nobody in Atlanta yet this was my year off from school and I had nothing to lose. This was most definitely a calculated risk I was going to take. 2 1/2 years later I’m still here!

– I had met Ammar from Yes Theory and after him and I bonded over how we interpret art in the world, he mentioned how he foresees a potential Seek Discomfort x Amanda McCreight Collab in the future.  I knew that if I wanted this collaboration to happen, it was up to me to bring it to life.  Again with blind risk…I didn’t just say, “hey, this is my idea, do you think this can happen?” I covered ALL my corners (even if it meant coming out of my own pocket$$).  I made sure to give Yes Theory the most elaborate pitch and show them that I’ve already done all the work, all they have to do is say YES.  The summer of 2020 I produced an entire campaign for the Life Full of Color collaboration: a commercial, look-books, stickers and printed all the clothing of what I envisioned our collaboration to be. I boxed it all up and shipped them the products and told them not to open it until I can give them my pitch over Zoom.  Checkmate.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

As the Creative Director for Jesse Itzler- my life is never boring. Jesse is always coming up with new business ideas, events and adventures. I’m always there to capture the moment via iPhone, camera or film to bring it to life via the social media channels with the goal of inspiring others to maximize life the way Jesse does.

I started out my job with Jesse as “Positive Vibes Intern.” I had just begun my leave of absence from PA school and got the opportunity with Jesse to explore what a potential role in his life & company would look like. Basically it was, “We don’t know where you fit yet, but we know we want you around.” The first 6 months I attended every meeting and took on any task until we came to the conclusion that Social Media Coordination, Content Capturing/Management and eventually Creative Director is where I land.

When asked what the biggest hurdle I’ve had to overcome since taking on this job is, I’d say it’s Imposter Syndrome.  Over the past 2 years, I have had the honor of attending meetings and holding conversations with incredible leaders and entrepreneurs. Sometimes there can be be an intruding thought pattern that can creep into my head that says, “You’re too young. You don’t have enough experience. Who are you compared to them?” When this pattern arises, I take a breathe and remind myself to give myself grace. Experience is important but so is trusting yourself that you can add value. I tell myself, “If you operate from a place of curiosity, excitement and problem solving – you can feel confident in joining the conversation too.”

We have some exciting projects in the pipeline at Team Jesse Itzler that we’re looking forward to launching in the upcoming years!

My job description may be “Creative Director” in Team Jesse but I’d like to think I play that role in my day to day life too.  I am the Creative Director of my Life- dictating how I express myself and how I interact with the public through my art and conversations. I am in constant pursuit of exploring new mediums. Whether it’s collage, poetry, video editing, directing, design, music or even how I dress…I want to do everything from A to Z.   I’ve never seen myself as a “pick one thing and stay there” kind of girl. I’m excited and curious about so much and want to explore as much as I can while I’m on this planet.

A project that I’m excited about right now is “You’re Fucking Dope.” This started as an act of kindness- I created stickers that say, “You’re Fucking Dope” and handed them out to people. Strangers, Baristas, Waitresses…anyone I met, I’d thank them for the good conversation and hand them a “You’re Fucking Dope” sticker. Everyone was always so pleasantly surprised that they were randomly gifted something for no reason other than being themselves.

Here’s the catch, I’d give them TWO YFD stickers and tell them to keep one for themselves, and pass the other on to someone else who impacted their day. I’d immediately see their eyes dart around the room to see who the next potential YFD recipient may be. I launched this movement via Instagram and Venmo. As a social experiment, I didn’t want to put a price on these stickers. The whole goal for You’re Fucking Dope is about acts of kindness and passing it on, so to order the stickers, it’s based on an honor system. Venmo me however much you’re willing to pay with your sticker quantity, DM me your address- and your stickers are on the way.

These stickers empower the beholders to be bold enough to compliment a stranger and start conversation. I’m obsessed with creating scenarios that are catalysts for human connection. Plus, it’s an eye catching way to create a magic moment.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

After living here for 2 years, I’ve definitely reached the point where Atlanta feels like home.

I adore the Beltline walk from Piedmont Park though Ponce all the way to Krog Street Market. I could spend 3 separate days with a friend exploring those 3 parts of town. One of my favorite things to do when the weather is nice is go for walks in Piedmont Park. Besides the main lawn that everyone lays on when it’s sunny out, it’s really beautiful when you explore the park and walk along the pond and check out all the different trees and wildlife that can be seen.

Ponce City Market reminds me of Chelsea Market in Manhattan and that gave me a sense of familiarity and excitement when I first discovered it! I love the energy of the different shops & restaurants all within the same space- you can go and try something different every time. My favorite spots are Minero, Biltong Bar and Eleven TLC. Added bonus: I think the rooftop of Ponce is the most magical thing about this city.

The Beltline attracts many different characters of people and it’s great to people watch and notice who the regulars are. The walk from Ponce to O4W is lively passing through Freedom Park and stopping to look at the graffiti under the bridges along the way.

The reward at the end of the Beltline walk is going to Recess and getting “The Superbowl.” At one point, I was eating it like 3 times a week, hahah.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I get a lot of inspiration from people like Pharrell Williams, Billie Eilish, Tyler the Creator, Audrey Nuna and Virgil Abloh. I love the concept of being a multi-faceted human that can create art that resonates across multiple different mediums; from music to clothing to movies, physical products, etc. Their way of life and thought almost becomes the art itself. Looking up to them is a constant reminder to live my life artfully.

I have been fortunate to meet amazing people that make me feel seen and heard. In terms of people in my life that have had an incredible impact, I want to shoutout my mother, Jesse Itzler & Rich Keller.

The book I live by: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

Website: https://www.amandamccreight.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandamccreight/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRN-tfLwej4Rmw7459a_tDg

Image Credits
Image Credits to: Cory Martin, Geraldine Hessler and Amanda McCreight