
How NDIS participant Jasmine found her dream creative collaboration and is building a career in graphic design.
“I love being creative. I experiment and find inspiration from things I see on the web and Pinterest. Whether its fonts, illustrations, a CD cover or a movie poster; I then jump onto photoshop and do my thing”.
Jasmine is one of our NDIS participants from Northern Adelaide, and as you can see, she has a deep passion for creativity. She loves working with dark fiction and horror themes and has long dreamed of turning her graphic design skills into a career. Supported by the NDIS and Feros Care’s local area coordination (LAC) services, Jasmine, who has an intellectual disability, has been making strides toward that goal.
“In my spare time I love to design and illustrate movie posters that are in the horror, supernatural and macabre genres because that’s my particular style. And I also love retro 1980’s stuff.”
“The things that I do can be quite detailed and time consuming. I make sure to spend time to tweak my work to my liking,” says the self-proclaimed creative perfectionist.
When Jasmine met with Rebecca, her LAC, she spoke about her goal of running her own graphic design business. Jasmine proudly showed her work portfolio – business cards and designs that reflected her creative style. With a clear direction and strong ambitions, 32-year-old Jasmine was eager to explore how she could turn her talent into a successful career.
“I’ve been doing this for quite some time now. In the past I’ve had clients request business cards, invitations and so on. The biggest thing I’d ever done was create a logo for a small business owner. After she chose her favourite design, I ended up doing business cards, banners, car magnets and an invoice template for her.”
At the same time, Rebecca was working with another participant, Annette, an author who is visually impaired. Annette had published numerous novels, including crime and mystery stories, and was looking for someone with the right creative flair to design her book covers. When Annette expressed her desire to collaborate with a fellow creative with disability, Rebecca realised she knew the perfect person.
“I thought in my heart they might be the perfect duo and knew I had to introduce them,” says Feros Care local area coordinator, Rebecca.
Recalling Jasmine’s portfolio of dark, imaginative artwork, Rebecca saw the potential for a partnership between the two participants. During their next conversation, Rebecca excitedly shared Jasmine’s story with Annette, knowing this could be the creative match she was searching for. Annette, equally thrilled at the idea of working with someone who shared her passion for storytelling, was eager to meet Jasmine.
“Being totally blind, the only covers I could produce in the past were plain and bland. But then a chance remark brought me into contact with Jasmine, and a new range of possibilities opened up,” says author Annette.
Rebecca arranged introductions between the pair, and their collaboration quickly took off. The connection was immediate. Jasmine’s graphic design style was a perfect fit for Annette’s novels.
“Having an artist like Jasmine create my covers goes a long way to levelling the playing field in which I compete with other authors,” tells Annette.
Over the next few months, Jasmine created three captivating book covers for Annette, and more projects were soon lined up. For Jasmine, this was the perfect opportunity to showcase her talent, gain real-world experience, and take a major step toward building her career.
Jasmine and Annette
The support Jasmine receives through the NDIS has been instrumental in her journey. Her support workers help her with communication and social interactions, ensuring she has the confidence and tools to engage fully with her work and community. In addition, Jasmine works with a psychologist who supports her in understanding her strengths and capabilities, further empowering her to thrive in both her personal and professional life.
“Nikkita supports me with my admin like printing and drives me to appointments, on business errands and to my volunteer work at the Salvos,“ explains Jasmine.
Jasmine and support worker Nikita
The partnership between Jasmine and Annette has been exciting for both. Jasmine is now building her portfolio and growing her career as a professional graphic designer, while Annette has found a talented artist who perfectly complements her storytelling.
“Someday I’d like to show the whole world my work and I hope it gets noticed, because I put my entire heart and soul into what I do.”
Jasmine’s story really shows the empowering role that Feros Care and the NDIS play in supporting people with disability achieve their career goals and live fulfilling lives. With the right support, Jasmine is turning her dreams into reality, and her future in graphic design looks bright.
If you or a loved one are navigating the NDIS, we are here for you. Our local area coordinators, like Rebecca, are committed to supporting you to reach your goals and live the life you want. For more information you can call us on 1300 986 970, 7am – 6pm (AEST) Monday to Friday.
If Rebecca’s story as an LAC has inspired you to explore a new career or workplace, visit our careers page for more information including our work perks! Many people say they want to make a difference – with us, you’ll have the chance to truly make it happen.