We recently connected with Jhanaiya Smith-Butler and have shared our conversation below.

Jhanaiya, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

I will never forget my first customer. It was around 2017, and I was putting up my art on a site to sell as a part of a college class. I was terrified because I was afraid no one would want to invest in my art due to the fact that my art was created to highlight Black women and other POC in fantasy stories, as it was something I wanted to see in media as a kid.

I had my first sale, and it was a complete stranger in the midwest! I was so excited, we all have family and friends who will support but this was someone that I never knew really stuck with me. But what made it more memorable was the message that the buyer sent. It was a white female teacher, and she sent me a message thanking me for my art, because she had a lot of young students of color so she chose to hang my art in her classroom to help young black girls feel seen. Hearing that, really reinforced why I made my art and I just think of that whenever I feel unmotivated.

Jhanaiya, 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 am a 24 year old Black artist living int the Bronx, NYC, but I am originally from South Carolina. Being from the south gave me a huge love of nature and exploration, and I think was my gateway into the fantasy genre, it always kind of makes me feel like I am home. I read so much as a kid I began wanting to create my own stories with characters who looked like me in fantasy settings. I wanted to see black girls in anime, queer people with swords, and just create representation in a way that felt like home.

I began selling art as a means to get by on the side of school and working, and it also helps me practice my skills as I plan and create my manga. I then began selling art at events and going to smaller cons to reach my community and gain support. I am most proud of every time someone comes to my stand and tells me my art looks like their daughter, or their brother or their friend, and just seeing ourselves in these spaces, it does something for us.

I want everyone to look at my work and see the intentionality in my art and my stories, but understand that my goal is not to created BIPOC trauma in these stories. I want us to be able to just feel the joy, the magic, and just the happiness of these stories aside form racial trauma as our white counterparts due when they consume media.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One lesson that I had to unlearn was letting art block prevent me from being productive. If one wants to work in the art industry then you have to be able to work with deadlines.

In addition, most professionals, when they are experiencing art block they do warm-up studies or thumbnail images. It’s a great way to be creative before having to do a body of work that you might not be excited to make in the moment.

How did you build your audience on social media?

My social media journey is a bit unconventional. On my personal page I spent a lot of time cultivating a following and then started to sell my art to my friends and then from there I started my art page to continue selling. I do think that separating your personal from your art helps a lot, you can take breaks from that world and reach a different audience.

Some people have art pages, some people cater their page solely to selling over building an audience. Regardless of which you choose, you
have to be able to follow the trends while also being true to yourself. Social media is a powerful tool, but it’s easy to get lost in the sauce and get discouraged from results. You have to be sure to be able to understand the algorithm and use it in your favor while still enjoying your craft.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://unapolygeticc.carrd.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unapolygeticc/

Image Credits
Headshot by Bria Josephs