We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zakiya Wiggins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Zakiya, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
My creativity started at home with drawing and painting. Birthdays and Christmases, my family would buy me art supplies – and eventually, I was drawing and painting them. The second semester of 9th grade, I decided that I wanted to pursue architecture. Since my school didn’t have any drafting classes, I took every art class available to me – two semesters of Printing & Graphics, Visual Art I through AP Visual Art, and two semesters of Sculpture & Ceramics. Those classes heavily influenced one another, as well as my creative process. How do I take something from a 2D idea to a 3D work of art? How do I build up the depth of a drawing or the depth of a sculpture, and how is that the same or different from adding visual depth to a graphic?
Knowing that I know now, I could have sped up my learning process by staying consistent. Drawing more – even if it’s sketchy. Removing the idea that a drawing has to be perfect and just getting something down on paper.
I think that the most essential skill is patience. Nothing is going to happen right away. Sometimes I’ll look at a drawing or painting and know that something is off and not be able to figure it out until I’ve taken a break (overnight or days) and come back to it.
Depending on your medium of choice, supplies can be expensive. I am currently doing more resin paintings. I had to first invest in myself to learn how to do them before I offered that as a service. I started small with canvases I already had and bought the other supplies on sale. These days with YouTube and other social media platforms, there’s a real time wealth of knowledge that makes learning these new skills a lot more attainable than it used to be.
Zakiya, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
By trade, I am a licensed architect and by passion, I am a freelance artist. I create commissioned acrylic and resin works, and host paint parties for children & adults. I sold my first painting in 2014. The following year, I worked for a sip & paint company before heading to graduate school. While in grad school for architecture, I continued to create commissioned paintings and sold a painting that I had displayed at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Months into the pandemic, I was asked if I could host a small sip & paint class for a bachelorette party – and that was when I decided to add the parties to my list of services. Since then, I have hosted birthday parties, brunches, work events and a girl scout troop.
With paint parties, I help my clients bring people together. With my commissioned work, I’ve helped clients celebrate professional achievements, new homes and the birth of children. It’s truly an honor to be a part of milestone moments and special celebrations.
I would love for my potential clients to know that I am open to work of all mediums, subjects and sizes. Although I do not paint full time, I’m always open to fun projects.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
When I started my business Instagram @zlw.designstudio, I shared it on my personal Instagram, but did not immediately have content. The key to growing my presence was taking the time to view sounds and hashtags that are trending or popular. I experiment with creating reels or content using those. Sometimes its successful and sometimes it’s not. Whether or not people follow after seeing my work is to some degree less important than the act of confidently putting my art out into the world.
For those just starting out – the key is to get started. I have less than 300 followers, but I’ve made thousands with my creative works and paint parties. You don’t have to have all of the answers to get started. Another important thing is to take high quality photos with good lighting for your portfolio of work.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My mission is simple – keep my current skills and learn new skills. I don’t aspire to know how to do everything, but I enjoy alternating styles and mediums to meet the unique needs of each client.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zlw.designstudio/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakiya-wiggins-noma-aia-leed-ap-92b66489
- Other: [email protected]
Image Credits
N/A