Jason Jin, an actor, transformed a career break during auditions into "Flower Academia," a thriving social media channel and brand boasting over two million followers. While continuing his acting career, including appearances in Netflix productions, Jin now operates as a florist and influencer, popularizing floral design as a form of art and self-expression and forging a new career path.
A New Artistic Breakthrough During Acting Hiatus
Jason Jin, an actor based in Los Angeles, initially entered the world of floristry by assisting his aunt at her flower shop during a period of fewer auditions. This experience eventually led to the creation of 'Flower Academia,' which now boasts over 2 million followers across various social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Despite his ongoing acting career, with appearances in Netflix's "Beef" (Season 2) and various commercials, Jin finds joy in creating content that expresses art through flowers and shares floral design tips.
Through 'Flower Academia,' Jason Jin uses flower arrangement as a medium for artistic expression. He explains that his content sometimes teaches techniques and tips, while at other times it simply showcases pure artistic sensibility, always prioritizing "enjoyment" as its core value.
Creative Process Inspired by Improvisation and Daily Life
Unlike many creators who meticulously plan short-form videos, Jason Jin approaches his floral content creation spontaneously. He emphasizes that after carefully examining flower color, quality, and price at the flower market, he immediately begins his work within two to three hours. He highlights this improvisational method as crucial for cost efficiency, noting that even small price differences can accumulate significantly over a year's worth of purchases.
His floral inspiration comes from various moments in everyday life. Minor experiences, such as the outcome of a World Cup match, his girlfriend's outfit, or even a non-Broadway play like 'The Masquerade' that they watched together on their first anniversary, serve as sources for his creations. He shared that the vivid emotion of the play and the passionate performances of the actors left a deep impression on him, significantly influencing his creative process.
Business Expansion Through Brand Collaborations and Agency Partnerships
Jason Jin is expanding his business through brand collaborations facilitated by the CESD agency. For a Valentine's Day collaboration with Dunkin' Donuts, he created a bouquet featuring heart-shaped donuts. He also showcased floral arrangements inside large Stanley Quencher cups for a partnership with the brand. Jin explains that these brand collaborations provide opportunities to work with expensive flowers that would otherwise be difficult to acquire, humorously referring to it as an "excuse to splurge on flowers."
He highly values the role of his agency and agent, Eddie Pietrzak. He notes that his agent handles challenging tasks such as negotiations, brand scouting, and connecting him with suitable projects, allowing him to focus solely on creative work. Furthermore, Jason Jin emphasizes collaboration with other florist creators to promote small businesses and learn new techniques, demonstrating a commitment to mutual growth rather than competition.
Future Vision Embracing Both Acting and Floral Passions
Currently, Jason Jin is writing a floral design book through his agent. He aims to offer a fresh approach to traditional floral arrangement books by focusing on seasonal flower arrangements, incorporating "flowers, recipes, and a bit of technique." After several revisions to the preface, he intends to infuse the book with his unique identity, describing it as "flowers grown not in a flower garden, but in street concrete."
His goal is to popularize floral design, making it easily enjoyable for the public as an art form, a means of self-healing, or a thoughtful gift in everyday life. For his five-year plan, Jason Jin envisions hosting workshops in various cities and countries, publishing a second book, and operating a flower shop that doubles as a filming studio. He views his acting and floristry as an "unending parallel pursuit," expressing a deep passion to continue creating flowers and acting throughout his life, regardless of personal wealth.
