We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Isaiah Holley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Isaiah below.
Alright, Isaiah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
During my years as an undergrad at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, my artwork evolved from highly detailed realistic portraits of people and animals to more conceptual bodies of work that were visually inspired by comics. Within my four years of school, I was always trying to find a consistent business model for myself as an artist. I worked on various commissions, won contests, designed flyers for campus events, and most importantly sold my artwork physically at local artisan markets and online as an Etsy Seller. After my 2020 graduation from UNCP, I decided to only illustrate digitally, improve online marketing strategies, use print-on-demand services, and adapted a comic visual style that would reflect hip-hop culture and the things I grew up seeing and hearing in my environment.
Being originally a traditional artist The decision to switch to a digital workflow was highly uncomfortable. Prior, I was accustomed to drawing with a pencil, ballpoint pen, and multimedia to make detailed work, and only selling originals as commissions for people on an individual basis. I eventually came to the realization that I wanted more for myself and I have the ability to reach a wider audience if I focus on my own interests, and make them relevant and accessible to an audience that can relate to me. Creating artwork for mass appeal has been very rewarding, I’ve always wanted my work and my example of perseverance to reach and inspire as many people as possible and that is what I’ve witnessed in the past few years. Having a clear vision of the future and feedback from my online community and friends have kept me committed.
Isaiah, 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?
As soon as I could walk and talk I was creating detailed artwork with whatever I could get my hands on, growing up as an only child meant that It was necessary for me to understand myself and be fulfilled. As a senior at Holly Springs High School, I began to understand my career goals, by that time I was networking and selling my art as a commission-based artist. Clients often paid me to draw portraits of their pets or family members, and the work I enjoyed creating during my early years of public school was focused on realistic portraits, tattoos, and recognizable comic characters. My name was initially spread by drawing in public places, social media shares, and handing out business cards to family, friends, and teachers. After graduating High School in 2016 and entering college at UNCP I found that I could sell digital prints of my artwork on posters and apparel as another means of income, and eventually, my parents would help me plan and set up sales at the Holly Springs Artisan market during the summer months of 2017-2019. My experience selling artwork in my hometown prepared me to host more sales, and events, and bring the community together on campus as Art Club president at UNCP. During my senior year of college, I noticed a friend wearing a very interesting Kendrick Lamar shirt illustrated just like a comic book cover. I was always attracted to the artistic style of comics and considered adapting to new techniques that would combine hip-hop culture and comics. Prior to graduation, I composed a six-piece series titled “Power.” The series would focus on visualizing my personal aspects of self-awareness in a comic style inspired by the very punchy and colorful 1960s Marvel comics illustrated by Jack Kirby.
After graduating from UNCP in 2020 I chose to focus on digitally illustrating comic cover compositions that feature stylized images of pop culture figures such as J. Cole, DMX, and Kendrick Lamar. I was inspired by my love of hip-hop, the bold visuals of comics I grew up enjoying, cross-cultural references, and the desire to capture not just a portrait but the persona and energy. I remember seeing pop culture images appear on apparel in department stores or online, but the products I saw weren’t often creative or very inspired, so I took it upon myself to use print-on-demand services and ship out apparel, posters, and stickers on Etsy. To create truly unique products I think about how the images in a single composition relate to each other. For example, my best seller titled The Off Season is based on J. Cole’s 2021 Hip-Hop Album. I considered the rappers’ interest in basketball and North Carolina Roots, then drew him dunking a basketball in front of the Raleigh skyline which is recognizable to most NC residents. In addition to the scenery, I illustrated cultural icons such as Dave Chappelle, Kendrick Lamar, Tupac Shakur, and Notorious B.I.G. The image is incredibly satirical compared to my prior works.
Printing on a variety of products has pushed me to improve my graphic design skills in combination with my digital drawings, because as I found out early on, what works on a shirt doesn’t always work for a poster. But because I have such attention to detail and have a clear end goal vision of a project, I feel confident that I will overcome obstacles and provide my customers with truly unique items that they will enjoy and remember for a lifetime. My visual style and business model relate to young adults who have common interests with me, and I’m proud to say my customers, supporters, family, and friends have not let me down. I’ve seen customers purchase my apparel for concerts, or as gifts for others, and they often return to see what’s new on my Etsy shop. But for a friend or stranger to see me and become inspired to pursue a business of their own is an incredible feeling, and I am more than happy to support those who want to better themselves.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
It may be hard for non-creatives to understand that it’s okay to face criticism and that being uncomfortable is often necessary for growth. It’s very jarring to go from drawing razor-sharp detailed portraits for individuals to satirical comic posters and apparel for a large audience. Initially, I was concerned about whether or not people would be interested in my vision, but that’s the risk you take as a creative. As a result of my decision, I have reached people globally and improved my technical skills as an artist. Discovering a business model and developing a brand identity takes time and effort, and you are not expected to always succeed. My illustrations are made with a clear vision from concept, to final product and marketing. But while working on designs I often run into creative blocks, this is something that happens to all creatives, it’s important for me to take a break and clear my head to create quality products. My journey as a creative has been a lifelong marathon, and some may be inspired but feel intimidated to take the first step. I am aware of my gift, but it would be meaningless if I didn’t seek improvements and work hard consistently to see results.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Social media has been with me since my late middle school years, and I used it casually as most younger kids would. Instagram was the first app I used to connect online, I posted pictures of family, friends, awards, events, trips, what I had for dinner, and of course my artwork which always seemed to outshine all my other posts. The validation from friends, family, and strangers in an online space was always appreciated, but the acknowledgment from professionals to me felt like I was on the right track as a young artist. As social media evolved, sharing my art across multiple apps became easier, and my work began to spread significantly over the years. When I officially started my poster and apparel business in 2017 named Artistic Shadows, I began to view social media as a useful tool to display my work professionally as products for sale with links included to my online site. Viewing how other artists interact with their community and understanding my target audience’s interests was key to boosting my online engagement.
My current series of hip-hop comic covers are specifically designed to be culturally relevant, and display storytelling that stands out and connects with young adults who grew up with interests similar to mine. I noticed various fan pages of hip-hop artists with large followings who posted content related to my drawings, so I began to tag them in my posts. Sometimes my work would grasp their attention and they were kind enough to repost it. As a result, my social media and Etsy shop would receive an influx of traffic as well as fan pages that would share my work. There are pages dedicated to presenting content to a specific audience, and it’s in our hands to uplift each other.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtisticShadows98?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artistic_shadows_98/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isaiah.holley.98/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaiah-holley-842123164/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Art_Shadows_
Image Credits
Isaiah Holley