1. Jade Ingersoll
Writing Samples
Writing Samples taken from my personal blogs, copywriting, and various works.
“The Beginning of an Obsession”
April 8, 2015
Taken from my Music Blog: Songs About Jade
Legend has it my first real concert was a Willie Nelson show on the Forth of July, while I
was in the womb.
My first real concert though out of the womb, of a band I was actually a fan of and was
excited to see, was The All-American Rejects at Laguna Seca Raceway in Salinas,
California. This was the beginning of an obsession. This was in the summer of 2006,
when I was only 12 years old. I loved the loud speakers, the yelling, and the thrill when
the guitarist Nick Wheeler threw out his guitar pick and my Mom used her super human
mom strength to make sure I got that pick! (Today, that Guitar Pick, among the others I
have collected over the years, is one of my most prized possessions.) I remember riding
home that day in complete aw. I still feel butterflies thinking about Tyson Ritter singing
"Dirty Little Secret" and "Move Along" and feeling like he was singing to ME, little 12
year old Me.
That December of the same year, my Mom took me to another All-American Rejects
concert at San Jose State. We got Meet and Greet Passes and front row seats in the
Mosh pit (My mom sat in the stands, she wasn't into "moshing". Things have changed
though!) I was so nervous, they finally open the doors to the auditorium, we entered,
and the Rejects made their appearance. They were right in front of me, *butterflies*! I
met each one of them and chatted, I gave them some photos of me and my pumpkin
from that past Halloween with their logo carved into it. Tyson Ritter loved it and told me
he was going to hang it in their tour bus. Nick Wheeler hugged me, and I cried. When
they left, we all lined up against the railing in the front row and I met a nice woman that
told my mom she'd stand with me while Mom grabbed a seat. The concert opened with
several other bands before the Rejects. I believe it was "Boys like Girls," "Motion City
Soundtrack," and one other I can't remember. Finally, after hours of standing, luckily I
was young enough not to feel the pain and aching, the Rejects hit the stage and I
screamed. That night I swear Nick Wheeler looked at me more than once, a subtle hint,
that he was playing that guitar just for me. That night I also added to my collection with
another guitar pick from Wheeler.
Like a champ, I woke up the next day, and went to school. But I was exhausted. I woke
up earlier too, just to print out all my photos with the band to show off to my
classmates.
That was just the beginning.
"The Palace of Fine Arts"

2. Assignment for Creative Strategy: Culture Map
Fall 2014
Dear Reader:
This was my first time at the Marina Green and Palace of Fine Arts. Exploring
somewhere new is both daunting and exciting. I am someone who is always up for an
adventure in the city, but driving to our destination I was surprised. San Francisco is full
of chaos and busy bees, but this is what I was led to believe, but that changed when I
reached my destination. I asked Joey, my boyfriend, to drive so I could take in the drive
and streets from the East Bay. I peered out from the passenger window to be tricked.
Was I home? The Marina Green was a spitting image of one of my favorite hometown
hang outs. Surrounded by beautiful beach front properties and luscious greens for
picnics. I felt like I was home, for the first time in the city I had a wave of calmness come
over me and I could breathe. I took Joey’s hand, and we walked the greens to the edge
of the dock, where I admired the swaying boats in the water. I climbed up and stood up
on the brick wall overlooking the rocks. I looked down and screamed like a child, scaring
joey, I was excited and pointed to the tiny crabs scurrying around the rocks. Exploring a
new place always leads to tiny excitement. Even if it is just for tiny hermit crabs
scurrying around their homes. I jumped down like a child and we continued our walk.
We passed the continuing green where the people of San Francisco and tourists
enjoyed the Sunday afternoon. I watched as dogs and people of all shapes and sizes
ran around and exercised on the spongy grass. Pure happiness was spread across their
faces.
We continued to walk to the corner, following the signs to the Palace. You can see the
dome peer over the homes and trees. What was the hidden treasure we were about to
stumble into? We crossed the street and continued along the path. You step on to the
Palace grounds, quiet you stand, and you breathe in the clean ocean air. You begin to
walk through, the pillars standing reaching the heavens, decorated with ornate details
and statues. It is serene here, no one can do wrong in the Palace. We stop to read
about the “World’s Fair” that took place in 1915 in the original palace that was made
from products that were made to be thrown away at the end. But if you
close your eyes in the existing replica, rebuilt in 1965 due to the deterioration of the
original, you can imagine the beautiful art that was displayed there and the beautiful
people who lived that loved the Palace from the beginning.
Stepping into the center of the Palace, you are drawn to place your feet on the gold
circle in the middle, and look up. The ceiling is taken out of an Art History book.
Beautifully designed with gold coloring. Today two young couples inhabit the grounds to
take wedding photos, one of the many uses of the Palace. The brides were stunning,
and their new husbands stared as if they were the only two left in the city. The Palace
walls could've fallen, but she was all the beauty he needed.

3. The Palace of Fine Arts is the hidden gem of the San Francisco. If you don't take time,
to stop and breathe, you will never find the hidden treasure. The beauty of the Palace
stands alone when you talk about what San Francisco has to offer.
Which leads to my realization of the Beautiful Evidence of the City and its people. We
are all hidden gems of the city. We each have our hidden talents and are ready to share
them with the world. We are each unique, beautiful, brilliant, talented, and special. We
are each a mini palace that will either choose to inhabit the city after graduation or stay
to leave our mark for future generations. Either way, we are a gem awaiting to be found
and loved. But first we must discover ourselves.
Thank you for reading my adventure to San Francisco’s hidden gem.
With Love, Jade
"Connections"
Personal Blog Post: My Life as Jade
September 16, 2014
I can't be the only one in the world who, while listening to music, creates video
montages in their head. I consider myself a video montage guru, you know, creating
cute scenes or memories that go along with the song. When I was younger I thought a
really cool job would be to the one behind the scenes of music videos. Getting to work
with the artist, creating a personal story that everyone can relate too. But let's face it,
music videos are dying, I mean who really watches them anymore? Since TRL, I don't
really find any need to be intrigued by what the artists wants to tell us about the song. In
the end, the song and the video don't really go together. In some way the video changes
your view on the song. For instance the song makes you think of your high school
crush, your significant other, or that douche bad that stood you up that one time. But
then you watch the video and it has a little girl running around with her teddy bear and
she has so happy but then she runs into a truck and you're like oh no, what the fuck
happened! And then now when you hear the song you see that sad teddy bear getting
ran over. So really the connection from artist to music video and artist to listener is much
different in the sense.
This works with art too. I started my second year at the academy about a week and half
ago and once again my brain is being tested with ideas and creativity. I'm in this
advertising class for Art Direction, which is going to be one of my most creative and art
driven classes this semester. My teacher assigned us a sketchbook type project. We get
ourselves a relatively big sketchbook to fill with clippings, quotes, photos, findings, etc.
So of course, I was excited. In my head I begin to picture this amazing book I'm going to
create that will really impress my peers and teacher, organized and to the point. Then
he showed us his. He opened up his book and I was taken aback. It was quite chaoic,
mixed, and not what I was expecting. But really what was I expecting? Yes, he's a
designer, Art director by trade. But his book was chaos and this assignment was

4. supposed to inspire "letting go". Que insane anxiety attack. No way in hell was I
creating a mix matched, uncoordinated, wacky book. But then I laughed to myself, aren't
I pretty mixed matched and wacky myself? And then I realized, my art is orderly, clean
and organized the completely opposite of the way I see the world. Perhaps my anxiety
and OCD stem from the fact that I need to feel control because the world is messy. Step
inside my room and you'll see I'm the typical messy college student and I love order
whether it be alphabetically or numerically. But then I look to my art and it is straight
forward, organized, and full of just there ya go. And that's not the type of artist I want to
be. I want my art to connect as those music videos do. Artist to piece/final product and
piece/product to viewer.
So I began today, brushing paint across the stark white paper (a tip my teacher gave us
due to the fact that white paper is daunting to any artist). And I froze, anxiety attack! And
I ran away. I came back and I felt myself wanting to cry. What is this mess? And then
Joey came in and told me how pretty it was.
Thinking back that's the goal really. Being an artist involves stepping out of your comfort
zone and giving yourself anxiety, creating something that someone else will find
calming. That's what being an artist is all about creating work to inspire, to influence, to
make you really think. I'm almost positive picasso didn't love all of his work but he put it
out anyway, because he knew somewhere, somebody was going to make a connection
and they will have a feeling and they'll love that piece like he couldn't.
"Labels"
Personal Blog Post: My Life as Jade
April 15, 2014
I honestly think the universe works in most interesting of ways.
As people we try want to emotionally identify with others of our own beliefs, morals, and
opinions. With this tactic we end up labeling ourselves to the group we most want to be
included and accepted in. The labels we choose could have a significant meaning to us
or we choose a group we envy and want to be thought of as one of them. By labeling
ourselves we hinder our own personal growth of individuality and creativity. I think labels
are a sense of conformity as well. Because, by conforming with a specific group we are
able to have a sense of security, without others we think we're no one. When we shop
we find ourselves shopping for the label not what we want. When we speak we speak
from our label not our heart. When we act, we act like we think we should not how we
really are. Little do you know your strength doesn't not rely on how many is in your
army, but the courage in your heart. At least that is what I strongly believe. Go ahead
and quote me on that.

5. The reason for this blog post was mainly to address a recent occurrence. Recently I
was asked about a certain Facebook post. My post was about President George W.
Bush, whom I just think is one of the cutest men I have ever seen, especially since he
recently shared his amazing paintings! Anyway, someone asked how I could admire
someone who sent us into war for years but consider myself a "flower child". This is one
way labeling yourself and others sucks. By labeling yourself you associate yourself with
everything that they believe in and their opinions. But what isn't fair is that what if your
view of a group is different from someone else. My idea of a flower child is someone
who loves all (animals, people, etc.) and spreads that love. Also someone who dresses
modestly and simple, and enjoys the sixties and seventies. Almost like a throwback
hippie. But not all my ideals and values are the same as all flower children and hippies.
Because Hippies were in the sixties and they are long gone, now they are just people
who enjoy the nostalgia. (Side note: My Dad, Who was alive in the sixties and seventies
who was one of the first people to tell me that I reminded him of a hippie or a flower
child. He told me I was born in the wrong decade and said I would've fit right in).
My admiration of GW doesn't mean I agree with all his opinions, I just admire him as a
human being. I was born to love, I can't control myself. Therefore from this moment on I
don't know who the fuck I am, I don't want any bullshit labels if it means I can only like
what that group likes. I am and will always be Jade and I'm okay with that. If I don't "fit"
in the puzzle of society, I don't think it's much of a loss anyway. At least I will be able to
embark on an individualistic adventure for the rest of my life.
Labels are a disease, they latch onto us and begin to absorb us. Labels consume us,
Labels enable us.
"Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody.”
Personal Blog Post: My Life as Jade
February 10, 2014
Tonight I was talking to an old friend from middle school, whom I had been very close to
for many years. It is kind of crazy how we're all reaching our twenties this year and none
of us really realized how simple life was then when we thought each little moment that
didn't go our way was the end of the world. It is also very hard to think about that those
times we all spent together and the moments we all shared are now just memories
stored away in our mind are now considered the "good ole days". Kind of like what Andy
said during the season finale of the The Office... "I wish there was a way to know you're
in the good old days before you've actually left them". That is the honest truth though.
Because people change, life is quick, and moments become memories. We will never
be the same as we were yesterday or the day before that, and in some way we have to
learn to accept that. And the moments we should've remembered are gone because
we didn't know at that time we were having the time of our lives. Sometimes it is a harsh
and difficult reality to grasp that your friends in middle school aren't the same
today. Because really, in middle school, all we did was try to fit in and we were
constantly changing. That is what was scary, who we were friends with seven years

6. ago aren't the same people today, somehow we have transformed into who we were
meant to be and sometimes it seems like it happened over night. In someways it hurts
to know that those people aren't the same people and that you don't have in common
what you did, and don't love the same things and have the same dreams. But what we
have to remember is that those memories will forever be alive in our hearts and those
moments we shared were real and honest. And even though it doesn't seem like it now
we will one day reconnect with each other when we reach the next cycle in our lives
when we're fifty-something year olds with no idea on what to do next in life after
retirement. We will be the same middle school kids again finding our way once again. I
know that although we are "adults" now finding our way in the big bad world, and we are
lost and confused and we keep changing our minds, and sometimes we hate ourselves,
it's going to be okay. Because we were lost in middle school and we hated ourselves
sometimes and we just wanted to fit in, but we survived it. So when we come to the end
of our journeys once again and were lost and we all meet again, it'll be just like middle
school again. We'll all have beers though instead of milk cartons and we'll be
complaining about our kids instead of our parents, and all the things we were afraid of in
middle school we already conquered and were on to talking about retirement plans and
why our kids don't call us... and it'll be really funny. We'll probably dress as crazy as we
did back then and we'll probably tell the same jokes. I can't wait to be friends with you
guys again in 30 years and if you're reading this I hope you can't wait too. Because I
know were all adults but I hope this blog post speaks to you and you're able to think
about when we were little and we loved each other and life was simple. I miss those
times, those were the good ole days.