We were lucky to catch up with Kristopher Williams recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kristopher , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I actually went to school for Animation, but I ended up changing my major to graphic design. School really didn’t teach me anything but the basics. I wanted to get more in depth with creating. So I started watching YouTube videos, and really tried to find my way in the creative field. My mindset has always been the type to learn beyond my expectations and challenge myself to not settle in one area. The skills that I find the most essential would be typography. Knowing what typeface to use with any given scenario helps tell the story with any given project. It helps to bring your visions to life. When I first started though, I didn’t understand the tools that I used to create. Even while in school, learning each tool took some time to sit down and experiment. I gave myself tasks to learn these tools, found tutorials on how to use them and when to use them and what makes them the most efficient.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Sure, well I’m next to the youngest of 7 siblings. All of us have some form of creativity. Whether its music or art, we all have a unique gift within ourselves. We didn’t have the best growing up, but we were blessed regardless. The lessons life taught me growing up is that never let anybody dictate the future that God has aligned for you. My parents worked very hard to make sure we never went without. My mom would give you her last. She taught me how to survive, love and be a good person. And to always look at the bigger picture when things don’t seem right. As a young man, I was always the artist in class. From elementary to high school, I was the quietest one but everyone knew who to call when there was an art project that needed to be done. Around 2009 is when I decided that I wanted more for myself. I started hanging around people that were in school, people that really knew where they were headed in life, so I decided that I wanted to get there too. I enrolled in school, worked full-time and my son just turned 5. The job I was working was so draining. The people were in a negative space and I felt like it was a one way street to nowhere. I worked in the manufacturing industry faithfully for 15+ years and I felt so empty inside. my life was going nowhere fast. I was living check to check, working for people with no morals but to work, pay bills and die. Years went by and in 2004, my son was born. That really woke me up as a man. Living check to check was not the life I wanted to live. Although it took me a while, I finally said enough was enough. I wanted a different life for myself and my son. At the end 2009 I reconnected with my high school sweetheart, who I met through a friend. 2011we got married. It was one day when I was working behind a machine, drawing like I usually do and one of my coworkers told me I would never get anywhere drawing stick people. 10+ years later drawing stick people opened up my eyes to a bigger world and that there was more out there than I imagined. I decided to aim higher for myself. I started connecting with more people, how to get from where I am to where I needed to be. When I graduated college in 2014, I started connecting with creative industries, really trying to get my name out there. I landed an interview with a creative service and the representative told me that I had potential and that I should go back to the drawing board. I stayed up all night the next few months from sun up to sundown perfecting the craft. I landed my first internship (none paying). I asked my wife what should I do? At the same time I had an interview with another warehouse job where it was full-time and it was a great company. My wife told me to take the leap and go fore the internship. Although I wasn’t getting paid, I felt alive! I felt like this is where I am supposed to be! It was so fulfilling to be on the other side of the fence. Doing a job that’s laid back and something I actually went to school for. This is the first time I ever said that I love what I do and meant it. God really kept us through many storms because the road to graphic design wasn’t an easy one. You really have to stand out from the crowd and know your stuff. I got a lot of small projects here and there. It was enough to pay some bills, I kept pushing. I got a call for a position that was I thought was going to be for 2 weeks but they ended up hiring me full-time. I was so excited to finally be living the dream. My gift is actually making room for me! I was there an amazing 5 years and then the storm came. Right before the pandemic hit, I was laid off of my job. I was very sad but excited at the same time. Was freelancing still and was making some good money doing it on the side. I still do freelancing and it has been a blessing. I have met some major clients that I now call family. I decided to make freelancing more of my main focus when the pandemic hit. And of course through this storm, God really kept us from losing anything. We still had food to eat, bills got paid on time, and was able to keep sanity in the house. My business began right when I got in college, someone told me to always be prepared so I started the freelance business. I studied my craft and stayed up to date with the latest trends in design. After graphic design, I was so tired of people sending me cellphone pictures to create stuff with their graphics so I took up photography. I’ve been on the photography side of creating for about 4 years now.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I eventually want to work for myself full-time.

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

A lesson I had to learn is that everyone is not your ideal client. The people you know will never support but there are a few that will. Love the people who cherish your gift and don’t get so bothered when the people you’ve know a long time or all your life don’t because they still look at you like you suppose to not be where you are. It happens.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stylestudioatl.com
• Instagram: stylestudio_photos stylestudio_graphics
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stylestudiopics/?ref=pages_you_manage
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristopher-williams-1ba28013/
• Other: www.behance.net/kwilliams7

Image Credits
Miriam, Jahayla, WWE, Andry, CBD brand, 1 A Chord band