Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Toshe Phillips. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Toshe, appreciate you joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I have been able to earn a living full-time as a creative. Today, I serve as the Brand Director for Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. This opportunity came after 5 years of producing the organization’s photos, videos and graphic design projects. And as the keeper of the brand in mind, people called me the “brand police” so the move into my current role made sense. Prior to this role that has allowed me to express multiple creative fields, I held positions that focused on one at a time. I was a videographer for Newell Brands (formally Newell Rubbermaid), a photo editor for Turner, a photographer for SCAD and a graphic designer for my church. Finding a place that allowed me to do all 3 was difficult, however, they needed all of those skills from me as much as I needed to express my creativity in all areas. It has been the perfect match. In addition to Atlanta Habitat, I also work on set for a BET show called, “The Ms. Pat Show” which is providing another area to be creative as well. I have the privilege of capturing both photo and video behind the scene footage for the current season.
Toshe, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have been honing my skills in visual communications for over a decade. Originally a commercial photographer, I found interest in taking my imagery to the next level by making them move and pairing them with text, shapes, and colors. My artistic evolution has allowed me to now brand a business, event, or person from start to finish, complete with photography, videography, and graphic design. I have often been called a creative unicorn with the multiple creative skills I posses. But I’m also called this because I’m truly a lover of the arts and also sing in choirs and dance on dance teams. Currently, as the Brand Director at Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, I am often designing signage, taking photo and video content, and then producing and editing a video package for each event and campaign. My work has been seen on billboards, published in magazines, and is currently on display inside of many businesses and organizations across Atlanta. I’m most proud of these accomplishments not just because I’ve had the chance to be successful, but because I’m successful in the arena that is dominated by people who don’t look like me. Whether I’m walking on set of the Ms. Pat show or into a creative job, the chances of seeing another Black woman or woman at all is unlikely. I’m most proud of my opportunity to be an example for little girls who look like me so they know they deserve to be in this space too.
What do you find most rewarding about being creative?
My most rewarding aspect of being a creative is knowing I’m making a difference for people who look like me. Black women and people have been very absent from mainstream creativity for quite some time. Not only have we been absent from the final product, but we have been absent from the table that determines what the final product will be. I’ll never forget challenging a professor one time about a photo project including all Black people. I was originally given the critique that it needed to be more diverse, however, all of the other projects in my class didn’t include people of color. At that moment, I argued that my project was the only one creating diversity among the entire class. So instead of just thinking my project needed a different range in people, let’s look at art as a whole and then determine if there’s enough diversity or not. Being and creating diversity is something I live by as an artist. There are enough people in this country that won’t choose people of color first to be the subject of art or to make it. So I don’t take the responsibility of being one of the few lightly and I embrace it to the fullest.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The biggest lesson I had to unlearn in this creative journey is being quiet and invisible. I think as a woman, there’s a common instinct among us to not cause too much attention to ourselves when we’re in a space dominated by men. I had a lot of times I was looked over for just taking the, “Oh, I’m just happy to be in the room,” approach. The problem with this is that you eventually become forgettable and less respected. So now, even though I can still walk on a set and someone assumes that I’m the assistant first, I’m no longer timid about stating who I am and doing it boldly. I do this not only for respect but also in hopes that the next time a woman shows up for the job, the expectation that her position is lower just for being a woman is gone.
Contact Info:
- Website: toshephillips.com
- Instagram: @1fourteenmedia
- Facebook: 1Fourteen Media
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/toshephillips
- Twitter: @_ShayButter_
Image Credits
Toshé Phillips Andrew Phillips