ROUGH YOUNG THING: JACK MUDD

ROUGH ONLINE:  Who is Jack Mudd and what makes him tick?

JACK MUDD:  I am 21 year old and a model and singer/songwriter from East London. A massive fan of music especially genres like Neo-Soul and Trap Soul; so like Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and Bryson Tiller. I'm also a bit of a nerd - the gaming type of nerd. So like Pokémon and stuff like that.

ROUGH ONLINE: Are you spiritual in any sense?

JACK MUDD: I can be quite spiritual. I'm a firm believer in the law of attraction so I always try to put positive energy out even in the worst of times. I feel like there's no need to hold on to negativity because it doesn't create a pleasant atmosphere. I'd rather much spend my days smiling than being down. I mean we all have our moments where we're down, including me, but I don't like to let them last too long.

ROUGH ONLINE: Is there more to you than just being a pretty face?

JACK MUDD:  Yeah definitely - It's really weird because I grew up the nerdy kid who had a small amount of friends and was a bit insecure. So I ended up focusing on studying and stuff like that, and came out of sixth form with A's and then went to one of the top universities in the country - The University of Manchester, and graduated with a 2:1. So I've got some brains I guess haha...I also taught myself how to play the piano as well.

So I guess I've got a few things going on.

ROUGH ONLINE:   What do you do to stay healthy everyday? Any tips available to share?

JACK MUDD: I started my gym journey again this year and try to go like six times a week. Which can sometimes be difficult when working and going to castings, but I'm doing the things I love so I can't complain. I also try to drink 2 litres of water a day and occasionally do a face scrub - St. Ives apricot scrub has saved my skin on so many occasions. I guess my key tip would be to avoid stress if possible. Stress causes so many problems, like I personally start to break out when I stress. So I try to avoid getting to that state as much as possible.

ROUGH ONLINE: What is your definition of "young" as being this weeks ROUGH YOUNG THING?

JACK MUDD:  I feel like being young is an opportunity to make mistakes so that you can learn and grow from them so you don't make the same mistakes when you're a lot older. It's an opportunity to explore different avenues and find your feet in the world. I found that it's a time frame in which you learn important life lessons like living by your own clock.

A lot of young people see other young people who have progressed further than them and try to rush things to be on the "same level" so to speak. But it's not about that, which is something I've learnt and am still learning. You will get to where you need to be when the time is right, you don't need to force it. Obviously don't sit around and wait for that time, but grab opportunities that come your way, research and network with people in your field and learn about your field or craft - it's a time to create solid foundations for the future.