In 1990 Jared entered the field of animation where he was an assistant animator for Don Bluth Studios. In 1994 he was hired to work for Walt Disney Feature Animation where he stayed for 10 years.

In 2004 Jared decided to leave Disney and currently lives and works as an illustrator in St. George, Utah with his wife and four children.

Jared Beckstrand was born in Long Beach, California and is the oldest of 10 children. As a young boy, if he wasn't playing baseball, basketball, or football, he could be found drawing for hours. At age 12 he began to receive commissioned requests for his artwork, most of which were portraits and caricatures. Since those early times Jared has actively pursued a career in illustration and animation.