We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dorian Davis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dorian below.
Hi Dorian, thanks for joining us today. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?
As a child, I can truly remember being scared of everything, but one thing I was never afraid to do was create. As an artist and filmmaker today, I have learned that you have to maintain an unwavering belief in whatever you create in order to bring it to life and that the best art is created from personal experiences. This was most recently present when I found myself dealing in depression and a creative slump during the pandemic. When I could not come up with any creative ideas, I found myself coloring in old outlines that I drawn and never finished. Something as seemingly simple as coloring became a creative escape for me and brought me much joy during a difficult time. At the same time, my younger sister and fellow artist was exploring ways to expand her art, so we decided to put our heads together and come up with a way to share our art with the world through a medium that everyone can participate. After seeing how much coloring helped me through the pandemic, we decided that adults deserve a multi-faceted coloring book that allows anyone to be an artist. We took this concept from idea to creation by sourcing some of our favorite icons, such as Prince, the Boondocks, and of course, Blue Ivy as inspiration for our book, but we wanted to pull in our signature afro-futuristic style to transport our community into another world. Because we wanted to also promote self-care, we included various personal mantras on love, reflection, flow and others that have also helped us cope with various life experiences. With all that, we created AfroCare 2178 in Black and White, our first adult coloring book, self-published and now in the homes of many across the country. This was a labor of love and through collaboration with family and trusted vendors, we were able to put pen to paper and idea to conception in order to help people become their own artist.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hi! I’m Dorian and I own and serve as Creative Director of DorianTroy Studios, a creative arts business that produces artistic projects and provides client commissioned work. The studio has partnered with amazing aligned businesses like ProudBlackBrand and DVN Co. to create custom, statement artwork that articulates blackness through visual mediums. The studio has also commissioned hundreds of digital and print portraits for individuals, families and businesses. As the business has grown, the studio is moving into more product creations such as adult coloring books, print series and some upcoming special projects that will be launched in late 2022 and early 2023.
My personal affinity for art has taken shape over time. From drawing comic books of black superheroes with my best friend in my childhood North Carolina home to creating intimate series pieces as an adult, art has always been my outlet of expression and sharing myself with the world. Now, as an adult artist, I have found an affinity for digital illustration, screenwriting and creative directing that has fueled my passion for art and therefore, life.
As an artist, I hope to create pieces that connect the unconnected and provide a voice to the unheard. From statement collections surrounding afro-futurism, I hope that all of my pieces inspire an emotion that sparks a change in how we view society and ourselves to one of truth, positivity and love. My goal is to continue to provide a space where anyone can see their true selves manifested through art.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My ultimate goal is to tell untold and under-appreciated stories through art and film. There are so many stories of love, wonder and forgiveness that can be told through both mediums For this reason, I have recently transitioned from taking commissioned work year-round to taking more time to focus on personal projects and only accepting commissions during certain periods. I have so many ideas in my head that I want to put to paper, but in the effort to help other’s, I often sacrificed the precious time it takes to truly invest in personal projects. After the launch and success of my adult coloring book, I am more hype than ever to invest in my personal projects to tell the stories that I have waited years to uncover. I have two upcoming projects that I am very excited about that I have collaborated with some of my favorite people to create. I think that both of these projects will open the door for artists and lovers of art to be more innovative and vulnerable.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
“No” is not a word to fear. Over my history as an artist and filmmaker, I have learned that “no” is sometimes an invitation for a future “yes” but also, sometimes it just means “no” for that project or that person or that time. When I first got deep into filmmaking was when I was working on my first web series, Brunch& that I created with some amazing friends and talent while living in Washington DC. We tore through the filmmaking process, crowdfunding thousands of dollars, building a cast and crew well over 7o people and filming in locations all over DC and Maryland that we probably shouldn’t have even had access to. The majority of us were under 25 and working on our first large-scale project, and we made it so far. Unfortunately, we were not able to release the series due to multiple issues, and that realization was devastating at first. But what I realized, was that the “no” was so that I could learn the lessons and become a better creative and leader. Since then, I followed the lead of other filmmakers, co-producing a short film in winter 2019, writing scripts and pitch decks for producers in 2022 so that I could not just learn but appreciate the filmmaking process. That “no” in summer 2019 really taught me to listen, be collaborative and never be afraid of failure because it comes, but if you want it, success will surely follow. Now, I’m excited to get back into filmmaking because I understand that it’s what I truly love. And when you love something, fear of failure exist, but it does not deter.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.doriantroystudios.com
- Instagram: doriantroystudios
Image Credits
Javon Roye of JPR Photography ([email protected])