We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chonta Hickman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Chonta, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned to do my craft from taking classes to learn basic skills. Something I think I could’ve done to speed up the learning process is more freestyle projects and giving myself the space to mess up and learn from it early in instead of doing many things by the book from being afraid to have failed projects. The main obstacle that stood in my way was me and my self doubt instead of just going for it right from the start.

Chonta, 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’m Chonta’ Hickman of Nashville Tennessee! I started designing clothing in middle school starting out with sketches. I learned the basics of sewing in high school and went on to earn my degree in designing in college. After graduating, I fell in love with showcasing my work at fashion runway events and in doing so it strengthened my skills by learning how to create for many different shapes and sizes. I like making unique designs tailored to a person’s style and personality.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Networking and connecting with like minded individuals will go along way. Going to events and supporting others and letting people know about your craft will get you much recognition. Use your connections to build your portfolio and make collaborations that all parties involved can benefit from.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Some things that non creatives find hard to understand is why we do what we do. Non creatives are more business driven where as creatives are more passion driven. We do what we do because it makes us happy and it’s so rewarding to see others appreciate and enjoy what we love and work so hard at even if there are times it isn’t making us as much profit as we would like. A non creative will compare the amount of work put into a project(s) to how much you gained from it and if it isn’t balancing out they’re quicker to find another project that feels more fulfilling and profitable. As for creatives, even if there’s no large profit, we are willing to continue through and still work hard because at the end of the day it’s how we express ourselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://posh.mk/Py6PajwFMvb
• Instagram: Mystiikstyles
• Facebook: Mystiik styles
• Twitter: Missmystiik
• Other: Tiktok: missmystiik

Image Credits
Millicent Garland Photography