Jade Warrick “TrashKid”: CapNY Freelancer & Activist

Jade Warrick is a powerhouse artist and freelancer. Known in the art world as “TrashKid.” Jade is not only a CapNY icon because of her creative graphic design & energetic spirit, but because of her active voice in the communities she’s a part of and her passion for making art accessible for everybody.

We sat down with Jade Warrick “TrashKid” to ask her what she’s been up to during the COVID-19 crisis and the Black Lives Matter movement.

  • How has your business/work changed since the beginning of the pandemic?

Business has been decent for me. I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of marketing and graphic design work and I’m enjoying that. A lot of people are getting businesses off the ground and working on things they never had the time to before. I’ve been working with a few podcasters, Didi Delgado being one. At the same time I’ve also done some commission work with Healing While Black, LLC, an amazing black voice. I’ve been wanting to do more TrashKid stuff – doing more comics and drawings – but it has taken a backseat due to the commission work.

I have some side projects going on. I’m working on building a website that helps promote the work of people of color. I’m also working on a COVID-19 graphic novel with Noelle Gentile, a local actor and children’s author. The book is geared toward youth — it talks about what the pandemic means, missing your friends, etc. It’s a living document. With new information and events taking place all the time, it keeps changing. We’re hoping to release that in mid-June.

  • Can you tell us a bit more about the website you’re building to help promote the work of black artists and artists of color?

I’ve been wanting to build this website for a while, but never had the time until now. I want to give my friends and creatives – especially those who aren’t very good at marketing or don’t have a website — a place where people can see their art and contact them if they’re interested in commissioning them for work. This is a resource for all people, but the idea is to promote artists of color. It’s a place where people can find under-looked black artists and support their business. The logo will consist of a pigeon. Pigeons are looked down upon and seen as gross, but they’re very smart birds. I think it’s an interesting reflection of how people see urbanized black culture.

  • I regularly see you on social media using art to build community. What’s your latest community building project?

I’m working on mural at YouthFX in downtown Albany. I’m also going to be working with Albany Barn, Albany Center Gallery, D. Colin, and others to encourage our black youth to paint murals downtown. Youth are going through a lot right now, not only the protests, but there is still a pandemic going on. People are still struggling and unemployed and kids aren’t going back to school. Kids are angry about a lot. I would’ve been a stronger artist if I had been around more art and art making. My parents were too busy raising their kids and trying to get by so I never really got the opportunity.

  • Any last words of advice you’d like to leave for our readers?

The world is really negative right now. I’ve been trying to help as much as I can and help people feel less alone. I’ve found positivity through connecting with my community – getting in touch with people who feel the same way as me. If you reach out, many organizations will welcome you in with open arms and provide you resources to join workgroups.

  • Connect With Jade Warrick “TrashKid”
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  • Written by: Gabby Fisher

Gabby is a brand strategist, entrepreneur, real estate investor, matchmaker, & hypewoman. She is also the Lead Consultant on the CapNY Brand Initiative. She lives in Schenectady with her poodle Mochi and 60+ houseplants. Check out her website!

Aaron Moore: CapNY Freelancer, Acting with Aaron

Aaron Moore started “Acting with Aaron,” in 2012. Born, raised, and still living in Albany, he started teaching acting when he came back to Albany after college and noticed that there were a lot of youths in the area who were interested in the performing arts but didn’t have an outlet for it. He wanted to give back to the city and fell in love with doing it. Aaron says, “Giving my knowledge to others and getting to see how it affects them is a true gift.”
  • Aaron Moore, what’s your favorite thing about freelancing?

My favorite thing about freelancing would be the freedom that it gives you. You can make your own hours, create your own projects, and set your own networking opportunities. I’m able to work on multiple projects at the same time. 

  • What’s the most difficult part about freelancing?

I would say that the most difficult part of freelancing would be the lack of stability that a regular 9-5 job has. 

  • What’s your advice to a freelancer just starting out?

My advice to folks starting out would be back sure you have a full understanding of your business plan and create realistic long and short term goals. Look for networking opportunities when you can, and always get things in writing. 

  • What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started?

I wish I knew I didn’t have to say yes to everything, that planning ahead does wonders, and to have set up my prices before starting out.  

  • Your most exciting project to date?

I’m working on my first written production “When the Sun Rises and the Walls Come Down.” Putting a play together from scratch has been most exciting, and stressful. 

Aaron said that it’s great to be a freelancer in the CapNY because the region has started on a creative renaissance and it’s still growing and shaping. As the city grows, so does the opportunities for freelancing. 

  • Connect With Aaron
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  • Written by: Gabby Fisher

Gabby is a brand strategist, entrepreneur, real estate investor, matchmaker, & hypewoman. She is also the Lead Consultant on the CapNY Brand Initiative. She lives in Schenectady with her poodle Mochi and 60+ houseplants. Check out her website!

Kristoph DiMaria: CapNY Freelancer, Clown-Performer-Artist

Meet Kristoph DiMaria. Many call him Rags, short for “Ragliacci,” his clown-performer-artist’s identity name. And Will Kempe’s Players (Cooperative) is the name of his other business.
  • Freelancer, Clown-Performer-Artist

Kristoph DiMaria says “I challenge you, the readers, to consider how freelancing not only satisfies the individual creative work experience, but how it can be applied to change how our society operates – think activism, public policy, and working towards intersectional experiences and real inclusivity.”

Kristoph DiMaria was born in Troy, NY and grew up in Clifton Park. At 18 years old he moved around the Capital Region, living and working in each of the four cities. From there it was international travel then back home to Troy, NY where he has lived consistently since 2014. He is currently living in South Troy.

  • When did you start freelancing?

I suppose my freelancing practice started as early as an open guitar case on the streets of Saratoga at 16 years old. I’ve been a notary for three years, officiating weddings for the last four years, divining with runes and tarot for the last 6 years or so, and performing professionally as a musician and actor since 2010. I incorporated Ragliacci LLC and Will Kempe’s Players Cooperative in 2017 and am actively working to consolidate and organize my diverse portfolio into a centralized container.

  • What inspired you to start?

I have always respected the independence and flexibility of freelancing. The opportunity to work with a diversity of people, media, and venues allows for exploration and a natural evolution of one’s art forms. It allows those experiences to affect us and bring us back to ourselves with new awareness. It also allows us to have an effect on those who experience our work, whether audience or collaborator, that deepens relationships and understanding. My biggest push came from the recognition that this failure of late-stage capitalism chooses not to sustainably support artists. The burned-out, crumbling shell of corporate mentality from generations past feels obsolete and oppressive to me. We have to choose ourselves, find our own way, and trust in our impact to do and change, rather than to solely talk about it or trust in a larger system.

  • What’s your favorite thing about freelancing?

My absolute favorite thing about freelancing is the liberty of the work. I am getting to change things up, constantly, and by choice. Following my inspirations, I set my own schedule. I work with whoever I choose and with those who choose me. At the end of the day, I am accountable only to myself and my loved ones, and that’s what matters.

  • What’s the most difficult part about freelancing?

Consistency is definitely a challenge.  A freelancer responds more to the will of the market (or their audience), more than the other way around. Setting boundaries that include a narrative of self-care, such as creating just to create, making quality time for oneself and loved ones, or resting from work entirely can be a tricky balancing act.

  • What’s your advice to a freelancer just starting out?

Finding a rhythm takes time. So does building an audience and context for your work to operate it. Do not despair at hearing no or when things seem to take a long time to manifest.  Be flexible. Think broadly. Try all the things and be conscious of the responses you get.

  • What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started?

I wish that I had known how important time and resource management is. I would have greatly benefitted from already having a routine, schedule, and budgeting practice.  The learning curve is starting to taper off, however, and I am grateful for the in-flight lessons thus far.

  • Your most exciting project to date?

The most exciting project is still in its primordial form and involves opening and facilitating a multidisciplinary arts and community space in the Capital Region that serves collaborators and the neighborhood it will exist in.

  • Any helpful freelancer-friendly resources you recommend using?

Digital: Asana, Instagram, Google Suite. In-person: Power Breakfast Club, Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy, and attending other freelancers’ events / supporting their work.

  • Why is it great to be a freelancer in CapNY?

There is such a diverse wealth of creators and ideas here.  We’re in a unique position to shape the culture of this area with our work. It’s a fairly affordable area to live/work in and there is a lot of access to outdoor spaces like parks, rivers, and mountains that keep us healthy and sane.

  • Connect With Kristoph DiMaria
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  • Written by: Gabby Fisher

Gabby is a brand strategist, entrepreneur, real estate investor, matchmaker, & hypewoman. She is also the Lead Consultant on the CapNY Brand Initiative. She lives in Schenectady with her poodle Mochi and 60+ houseplants. Check out her website!

Top Picks in Downtown Troy: CapNY Freelancer, Corey Aldrich

“One of the things that attracts me to Troy the most is the diversity of culture, thought, gender and generally, the open-minded vibe I get hanging out downtown. The diversity spans socio-economic and age demographics. This is seen in many of the downtown residents and also the city government.”
  • Beautiful Urban Balance

Choosing favorites or top picks in downtown Troy makes for a very long list. Downtown Troy is a great combination of small and medium independent, entrepreneurial businesses and has strong arts and creative destinations. Troy arguably has the most robust farmers market in the region, having been in operation for over 20 years. The market attracts tens of thousands of attendees per year to the downtown area.

Similarly, downtown businesses have strong identities, not just programmatically and aesthetically, but also in the groups of people that they attract. They form cultural micro-climates to borrow a landscape architecture term. The architecture and rich industrial and cultural history of Troy are a significant player in the experience you have here.

As a creative freelance professional, this environment is supportive and stimulating. In a simple trip for morning coffee its possible to run into musicians, PHD students, architects, film people, gaming programmers, coders, makers, fashion designers, stylists, photographers, engineers, lawyers, poets, philosophers, producers, urban farmers, historic preservation professionals, professors and retirees…the list goes on.

It’s not uncommon to see film crews from independent and major studios here from all over the country, including HBO filming ‘The Gilded Age‘. Troy is a current darling in that way and is increasingly providing quality freelance work for people in our region. In addition, there are 2 important college campuses downtown. RPI and SAGE College help contribute to an intellectually stimulating scene.

  • A Walkable Small City

Like many well-designed older cities, it’s walkable. Just park your car and enjoy strolling the various blocks to get to all the rich opportunities and experiences.

For the long term, my fear is that we will jump the shark and allow development that will gentrify our city overmuch. I am hoping that we can hold the beautiful balance we currently have. The new development interest can spread out from the city center into contiguous neighborhoods. By sharing investment dollars further across the Troy region, we can sustain the rich diversity that we hold so dear. The positive impact would reach a greater number of citizens, increasing the value of the city as a relocation destination. There are so many great qualities to feature, here are a few of my top picks in downtown Troy. It’s a day in the life of a downtown Trojan.

Best Date Spot

The Lucas Confectionary

Best Art Hangout

Troy Night Out Exhibition Openings at the Arts Center of the Capital Region (Shameless plug: ARTS BAR!)

Favorite Bartenders

Amanda at Nighthawks

Most Interactive Social Spaces

Bard and Baker over 750 board games!

  • Honorable Mentions

Ryan’s Wake (Locals Happy Hour Hang), Sunhees Farm and Kitchen, Troy Music Hall and Rare Form Brewing. Don’t miss The Hill at Muza. Muza is not downtown but is walkable in the summer and worth the trip!

Corey Aldrich currently lives and works out of Troy. Aldrich has an experiential design and events company called 2440 Design Studio.

Jayana LaFountaine Photographer: CapNY Freelancer

There are over 16,000 freelancers in the CapNY’s Creative Economy. The “CapNY Freelancers” segment will be highlighting talented individuals from different backgrounds, with different stories, and different visions. We hope you will take inspiration from their stories and use this as a potential opportunity to collaborate and support the freelancers in our communities.
  • Meet Jayana of Jayana LaFotos

We met with Jayana LaFountaine photographer to get some insights and advice about being a freelancer in the capital region.

Where are you from? Where do you live now?

I am from Springfield Massachusetts and I currently live in Troy, NY. I started freelancing in 2010.

What inspired you to start?

Losing my foster mother at 13 years old painfully reminded me that I didn’t have many photos with her. It has since been my mission to never miss a moment again.

What’s your favorite thing about freelancing?

I am my own boss. My success is not about climbing someone else’s corporate ladder but about building my own. I’m in control of how successful I can be.

What’s the most difficult part about freelancing?

Money. People don’t always want to pay you what you’re worth.

What’s your advice to a freelancer just starting out?

Ask for help and drop your ego. Know that you don’t know sh*t, so ask for help and be a student. The worst thing you can do is be unteachable.

What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started freelancing?

The backend aspect of running a business. I dove in head first and didn’t know about insurance, bank accounts, pricing, etc.

Your most exciting project to date?

My most exciting project to date is my book. “Book of Jayana” has been in the works for about four years now and I’m finally working towards releasing it.

Any helpful freelancer friendly resources you recommend using?

I would say Collectiveffort and Power Breakfast. Without those two resources I wouldn’t be where I am. They have all helped me in my venture as an entrepreneur by giving me tools such as space to shoot in, marketing and media tips, lessons in life, one on one mentoring, and so much more. If they can’t supply something I need, 9/10 times they know someone else that can. They’re both for the betterment of our professional and creative community.

Why is it great to be a freelancer in CapNY?

For me it’s seeing people that look like me and feeling supported by them. They genuinely want to see you succeed and will always lend a helping hand to make sure you do. It’s all love.

It brings me a great deal of joy to capture families and friends of all colors, shapes and sizes because those memories are forever even if we’re not. I am also a birth and postpartum doula, babysitter extraordinaire & DJ. All of these jobs I do with love and an immense amount of intention. I thrive off meaningful connections with people no matter how long or brief they may be.

  • Connect With Jayana LaFountaine
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  • Written by: Gabby Fisher

Gabby is a brand strategist, entrepreneur, real estate investor, matchmaker, & hypewoman. She is also the Lead Consultant on the CapNY Brand Initiative. She lives in Schenectady with her poodle Mochi and 60+ houseplants. Check out her website!