Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dyymond Whipper-Young. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dyymond , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project was creating an activity book centered around Social and Emotional Learning( SEL) in collaboration with Jordan Brand and DTLR. As an Educator and Artist, it was exciting to marry both worlds together and be backed by brands that are pillars in my community. SEL is a learning concept helps youth identify their feelings, effectively communicate with others, build strong relationships, and make positive, empathetic decisions. A focus point for me when creating the coloring pages was that black and brown children saw themselves in a positive light, whether that be excelling in the classroom or effectively communicating when they needed help. The activity books were distributed at back-to-school events in Philadelphia and Chicago, so to see a concept that I’m so passionate about being celebrated in Black and Brown communities was a huge win!

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?

As an artist, I am passionate about bridging the gap between Art, Culture, and Education. My work has premiered at over 50 major events across the country. My most notable collaborations include working with PUMA, the NAACP, Jordan Nike Brand, ESPN, the Los Angeles Urban League, and recently partnering with Crayola and the Franklin Institute to break the world’s largest drawing record by a single artist, at 6,450 square feet.

I have been training as an artist since the age of 11. I like to say Baltimore raised me and Philly made me. Growing up in Baltimore my educators played a significant role in my interest in art programs throughout my childhood. Moving to Philadelphia and attending Temple University, where I was named homecoming Queen allowed me to build a strong community and an even stronger sense of self. This motivated me to pursue my artistry centered around community building and self-expression using digital art, painting, and figurative sculpting.

I am passionate about changing the narratives of “the starving artist” and the role that the artist plays in their career. We are reinventing what the career of an artist looks like. Our ability to directly access our own audiences is placing the power back into our own hands. As a Black woman in this space having autonomy over my work and mission is empowering. I am intentional about sharing my knowledge with young artists and paving the way to make the arts a sustainable career.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The best thing society can do to support the artist is to pour into the youth. Investing in our children’s creativity is an investment in our future. Every sector of our society is affected by the arts and how we consume the world around us, from solving local government problems to building stronger communities. Cultivating young creatives should be the core focus of more art initiatives. Art can emotionally aid the youth by being a tool for self-expression using Social and Emotion Learning methods. Art can also create a pathway to expose young artists to innovative roles that new industries are creating. We frequently see young black creatives at the center of trends popularized through social media, and now is the time for them to not only get credit but began building careers using their innate talent. Fashion activist Nareasha Willis coined the term “Ghetto Until Proven Fashionable” and with the proper resources creatives of colors can actually reap the benefits of their intellectual properties.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Hustle culture is dead. A lot of my peers are retiring the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead mentality”. Probably because we’re seeing how unhealthy and unsustainable that mindset is. In college, I was convinced that the only way to be successful is through forcing yourself to work no matter what and often neglecting your basic needs. I grew so frustrated with myself for not being as disciplined as I was told I should be until one day it just clicked. I realized instead of building a life around my natural strengths and being clear about my own personal goals, I was trying to adopt all of these habits and ideas of success that didn’t align with who I truly was. Now, I embrace the mentality of working to live instead of living to work and it has been a game changer. I’ve been able to meet myself with so much more peace, clarity, compassion, and purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: dwyart.com
• Instagram: @dyymondwy
• Linkedin: Dyymond Whipper-Young
• Twitter: @dyymondwy

Image Credits
Dvvinici Durrell Hospedale Darryl Moran Charles The Great