Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amber Turner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Amber, thanks for joining us today. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

People enter your life for a reason. About two years ago, I worked for a local company here in Atlanta and had the privilege of working for an amazing woman by the name of Joanne. At that time, not too many people knew much about me, but Joanne took the time to get to know me. She let me have vent sessions with her about graduate school, dating, and even gave me encouragement about my path in life.

At that time of working on her team, I hadn’t declared myself as an artist. I would just occasionally tell people about this “thing” I did and wanted to do again (aka the art you see today). I was asked to show my art in the company talent show and crazy enough I did it. After the show, Joanne brought me into her office and gushed over my work. I told her about a new piece that I created and showed it to her. She thought it was amazing and asked how much I was selling it for. I looked at her like a deer in headlights and told her the truth, “I’ve never sold my art before.” She looked surprised and didn’t hesitate to say, “Well it looks like I am your first buyer.” I couldn’t believe what actually happened. There I was just casually telling her about my passion, and she invested in me and my art right there on the spot.

Right before I left the company, I told Joanne about this idea I had. I sat in her office and told her that I wanted to make a Prince inspired piece. I told her about the colors I would use and how if I ever came across some Prince records, I would make it. About two weeks before my last day, Joanne surprised the team with personal Christmas gifts. When it came to me, she placed a large bag in front of me and told me to open it…. The bag was full of Prince records. I couldn’t speak at the time but remember her saying, “I can’t wait to see what you do with them.”

Joanne – the outspoken, funny, intelligent, light-hearted, and caring woman who believed in me as a person and me as an artist, passed away from breast cancer last year. I still don’t believe it as I say that. She was a fighter that couldn’t be knocked down, and as she rests in peace, I still think of her that way. I didn’t get to show her the piece that the world knows as Purple Forever, but I am so grateful for what she did – not because of the records, but for believing in me enough to tell me to do it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I grew up in College Park, Georgia (a true Atlanta-native) and I am heavily inspired music, hair, and the beauty of black women and men. My artistic creativity emphasizes the relationship between Black women and their experience caring for their natural hair. Since 2013, I have been rocking my natural hair unapologetically and I use my art as a gateway to encourage other women to embrace their hair too. As a child, I suffered from low self-esteem and negative self-perception issues that stemmed from being teased about my hair. I was called every name under the sun from “spider-head” to “nappy-head” and after years of harsh words, I began to believe them.

As I got older, I started establishing a new relationship with my hair. I took the time to get to know my hair texture and all of its glory, which helped me re-ignite my self love and worth. Today, I encourage young Black women to find love and appreciation in their curls by putting a spin on how I believe society should perceive black hair. I do this by incorporating sensory materials that also speak to my passion in music and beauty..

Growing up in Atlanta, I was no stranger to the impact of music. I spent my weekends riding through the city with my father listening to classic artists that would forever change my life such as Prince, OutKast, Ray Charles, Maze, Chaka Khan, and so many more talented musicians. my passion for music fuels the themes behind my concept, which highlight the juxtaposition between music and hair. I specifically uses vinyl records because of my attraction to the etching & pressing process.

The way I see it: Music and hair have a similar connection. Musicians are meticulous about how they create the perfect sound. The beat has to be well-thought, the lyrical keys have to complement the instruments in the background, and it has to strike the listener on a deeper level sonically. I see my natural hair in the same way. When women select a hairstyle, they do it with a vision in mind. It has to flow, it must make a statement, and it has to look good! Timeless music take patience and creativity to create, and black hair is just the same.

— Amber Nicole, Visual Artist

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist has been connecting with others whom I normally wouldn’t have met. I spend my weekends at local festivals, markets, and pop-ups and I have learned so much just from the conversations with others alone. These connections have inspired me to create new pieces and to tell stories with my art from a different vantage point. I’ve met people who have had some wild adventures that I didn’t even know were possible. I’ve also shared difficult moments with strangers that led to tears and hopefully a starting point for healing. All in all, each conversation has impacted me as an artist and has led to growth in my skill, range, and technique.

In the beginning of building my business, I thought that the main reward would be selling a piece of my artwork. But fast forward to almost 2 years later and I am so blessed to have a bigger reward in connecting with other people.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Failure is necessary. You cannot grow if you are afraid to fail.

During my first year as a full-time artist, I operated in fear – fear of failure. I was afraid that by going for opportunities that weren’t “easy” to me, then I would automatically fail. What I learned throughout the year is that as the challenges get tough, I got tougher and with that came a lot of failure. There were times when I would apply for shows or grants and be rejected. There were other times when I would setup at a pop-up shop for an entire weekend and wouldn’t even make enough sales to pay for the fee to show up. I took all of these hits as failures. But from that, I learned to stop being afraid. After every loss, I made a new strategy to get better and learn from the mistakes I made in the moment. A lot of artists and business owners are afraid to fail because of anxiety or fear of letting others down. I felt this way as well. But today I can honestly say that every big failure in my life was quickly followed by a big win that helped me achieve so much more.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ambernicole.studio
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/am.nic
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ambernicolestudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amnic/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/amnicstudio