Balloon Artistry by Jaki Jade
Published:Monday | March 19, 2018 | 12:00 AMKrysta Anderson
Round, colourful, and vibrant. Balloons are often associated with celebrations and amusement and have always brought joy to the young and the young at heart. In the same way one inflates a balloon, designer and entrepreneur Jacqueline Jackson has breathed life into her unique business Balloons by JakiJade
But these are no ordinary balloons. Jackson has turned the mundane into the imaginative, twisting and shaping the party favourites to create innovative and festive art.
"We offer balloon decor. We do not just sell balloons in a bag or tie them on a piece of string. We can handle any balloon-decor job from the simplest set up, to the more intricate ones. We sell joy and fun to our clients. We pride ourselves on following the Smart Balloon Practices as outlined by the Balloon Council International and, in general, the balloon community," she said.
Balloons by JakiJade provides balloon artistry, event decor, and sculpting workshops for corporate team building energisers. Among friends and family, Jackson was usually the one appointed to decorate family, school or church events, which provided the outlets for her creative juices.
She started her entrepreneurial journey with a marketing consultancy business, incorporating her balloon artistry into her event executions. Her love and passion grew with each event, where she eventually went into the niche business full time in 2016. She doesn't consider her business to be just about balloons, as she prides herself on the creativity they lend to every job, creating unique solutions for turning her clients' venues into whirlwinds of magic.
Environmentally friendly
"We provide the finest quality balloon decor to match our client's needs. Whether a client needs a few balloon bouquets for their small party at home or they need to fill an entire venue, we can meet those event needs. The balloons that we use are bio-degradable and do not harm the environment" she noted.
Jackson said the reception has been phenomenal with many people in disbelief at the works of arts created from balloons. "My clientele is growing more and more each day as my work gets out. I am just very thankful for the opportunities that I have been given thus far." But shared that people love your work until they have to pay for it, "There's a mentality that some people believe that they should price your work. But the truth is that there is no real price for creativity. An artist spends a lot of time creating and, therefore, should be respected for that. I hear people saying 'but it's just balloons'. What I give to my clients is an awe-inspiring experience with my craft. This might not work for everyone, but sometimes depending on the job, I do it for free, just to prove to them that it was worth every penny."
On a mission to expand her creativity and her presence in the market, Jackson is excited to unveil her balloon float dubbed 'Inflated', which will be on display in the streets of the Corporate Area dancing along with the masqueraders on carnival road march day on April 8. "The float will feature large-scale designs displaying a seven-foot tropical creation on a flatbed trailer. Additionally, I will have masqueraders in specially designed balloon costumes. I am so excited about this because two of my mentors will be flying to Jamaica to assist me with the project. One currently holds the Guinness World Record for the largest balloon display. I am still looking for sponsorship to make this possible," she revealed.
"Be consistent and work hard. Learn from the lessons. Once you are aligned with your purpose and know who your source is, then you are good to go. You have greatness in you. Just leap and go for it," is her advice to persons wanting to follow their passions.
For more information, you can contact Balloons by JakiJade via email: balloonsbyjakijade@gmail.com, call: 442-3948, or check out her work on Facebook and Instagram: @ballonsbyjakijade