We were lucky to catch up with Dejha Carlisle recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Dejha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

Glad you asked! The name “Studio 418” is very personal to me…in 2018 I had gotten pregnant with my first child. I was shocked honestly, but it didn’t take long for me to get excited about it lol. Like, as soon as I left the doctor’s office who confirmed my pregnancy, I was right in the parking lot making posts on Facebook and Twitter about how happy I was. Fast forward a few months later, I found out I was having a girl. You just had to know how freaking excited I was about it.

Not too long after that, I got the news from an ultrasound tech that my daughter wasn’t growing how she was supposed to. She was weighing too small for me to be 4-5 months pregnant. My family told me not to worry, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Boy were they wrong. Imagine being told a couple weeks later by a specialist that your child wouldn’t make it. I went through the rest of that pregnancy depressed, holding on to just a small pinch of hope that they were wrong. Fast forward to April 18, 2019…my daughter De’Asia was born. Surrounded by family and trying to be strong in front of everyone, I was able to spend exactly 40 minutes with my daughter before she passed away in my arms. That’s a day I will never forget for the rest of my life, and naming my business after her birth date will forever keep her around.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

For those who may not know or haven’t came across my content before on socials, I’m a graphic designer and owner of That Studio 418. I got into this industry by starting out doing YouTube intros for a few friends back in 2019, and it took off from there! I was getting referred to potential clients left and right. Seeing how my passion grew and how I was able to make money from designs, I decided to learn how to do other types of graphics.

That Studio 418 offers services from logo development, flyers, and website designs to custom designed merch and posters/prints you can decorate your living space with.

What sets me apart from others? I love making things POP. I’m not the designer who’s satisfied with “luxury” and upscale branding (but don’t get it twisted, we can still service you). I love edgy designs. Designs that take a few times to look at it before you notice something you didn’t see the first time.

What I’m most proud of so far, is the fact that I got to work with a big-time hairstylist/social media influencer. He could have chose to work with any designer out there (trust me, it’s a lot of us) but he found my Instagram page and reached out to me instead. I’m proud of that moment because that showed me there’s no limit on my potential as a designer.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the fact that the world is literally your entire canvas. You can just be out and about, maybe at the mall or park, etc. And at any moment, you could see something that inspires you. Seeing something that motivates you and makes you want to go home (or wherever your design area is) and immediately bring those ideas to life.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

The main resource I wish I knew earlier in my creative journey is Photoshop. Of course in college I’ve heard of the software, but it always looked intimidating to me. When I first started designing, I was using Canva. Don’t get me wrong, I love Canva. It’s easy to design things on there and it gets straight to the point. However, I didn’t like how “flat” and basic my work was looking. You know I had to learn Photoshop after that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thatstudio418.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatstudio418/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dejha-carlisle-203313a8/