Jayvell Talks About Her Life As a Creative In Paradise

Jayvell Burns works at the intersection of creativity and curiosity; as a social media curator with a beating heart for travel, an obsession with plants and a knack for using a lens, she has a passion for documenting adventure above all else. She basically wants you to think of her like a female Walter Mitty. With passion, brains, and some effortless style thrown in for good measure, we’re pretty proud to have her as a member of our Local Supply Ambassador Program (LSAP). We sat down with Jayvell to answer a few questions about herself, her work, and one ridiculously idyllic life on the shores of O’ahu.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? What do you do? And give us a fun fact about yourself! 
I am a local creative in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (O’ahu, HI)—Hawaii has been my home all 23 years of my life and it’s a blessing and an honor to live in such a beautiful place. I am currently working at a small business called Cameron Hawaii; curating content for the company through using social media platforms. I am also collaborating with small local businesses and curating visuals for their products and brands.

Fun fact about me: I have a plant obsession!!!

Images courtesy of Jayvell's Instagram: @jayvellburns

What's the favourite thing about your home town? If we were to visit, what's the one thing you would recommend?
One favourite thing about Hawaii are the beaches. It may sound a little too cliche, but it’s true. For us, we don’t have to dive too deep to find sunrise shells or pretty pieces of glass. Also, we are surrounded by graceful (also friendly) turtles and hawaiian monk seals.

One favorite thing about O’ahu is definitely one of Hawaii’s popular hikes called Stairway To Heaven —There’s just something about waking up at 5a.m, climbing up a ton of stairs on a steep mountain and watching the sun slowly peak above the ocean. It’s about 2,000+ steps on a mountainous ridge. You might want to bring a good pair of hiking shoes, a nature valley granola bar, and lots of water! 

What's one thing about your country or culture that most people wouldn't know about?
Well, in our culture of locals, we are specifically known for our slang—or what others would like to call—our pidgin language. It’s considered a ‘slang’ way of communicating, that many of us in Hawaii speak. For instance, when we greet someone we know, we usually would say “oh, howzit?” …if we are addressing someone a little older, we call them ‘aunty’ or ‘uncle’…It seems to surprise a lot of the mainland visitors, leaving them so confused haha. You’ll get used to it, eventually.

We obviously love your work. Is photography something that you would like to pursue as a career?
YES! Photography is definitely something that I would like to see turn into a long-term career. It’s been a constant passion of mine and for photography to turn into a job that I LOVE would be exciting! In fact, when I was little, my dream was to be a National Geographic Photographer—I wanted to be the one to capture all those epic animal photos of fast running Jaguars or being covered in snow for hours on end, just to snap a photo of the ghost leopard. Oh, the life!

Basically, I want to live like Walter Mitty (If you’ve seen that movie); a life so rich in adventure and sharing stories with people through my photos. In the future, I would love to thrive in my craft of photography and be a backbone for a company as their visual marketer or design team.

Jayvell for Local Supply


What do you think of the Local Supply Ambassador Program? And why is it something you were interested in participating in?
The Local Supply Ambassador Program (to me) is an innovative way to meet new creatives around the world and to have a chance in showcasing their work with other people. That’s how a community of people works, really. The program was something I was interested in because it has given me the liberty to not only help bring content to Local Supply, but it really got me out of my comfort zone. For awhile, I have been overly conscious of my style of work…Especially when I know people who are the true definition of a camera guru. But when you guys reached out to me, I learned quickly that there is something in my work that is worth sharing and to thrive in my style of work and to fall in love with it, is most important of all.

As an ambassador, you've also obviously got access to product. What do you think of our frames and which is your favourite?
I love the frames! My favourite are the Freeways—classy, but minimal all at once. I love that Local Supply products are polarized. And although I never really owned too many polarized frames, it was nice to try on something different. 

What's the one piece of advice you would give to your 10 year old self?
…to celebrate every moment. To hold back at times, and to be kind-- to love fiercely and boldly the people in your life, as well as your passions because they eventually be the backbone of your story.

Finally, favourite song or album of the moment?
My ULTRA favourite song at the moment is called “Sunset Lover” by Petit Biscuit. There are no words, just pure beats and rhythm. I like to listen to this track while I walk through a botanical garden or on my drive home. It brings so much nostalgic vibes, I tell ya!

If you want to follow Jayvell on Instagram, you can follow her here. If you're interested in being part of our LSAP program, click below and apply.