We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful LaKendra Huckaby. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with LaKendra below.

LaKendra , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

I grew up a very lonely and shy child. My family moved a lot due to my father being an evangelist so it was always hard for me to connect with people. I would always be in my head about what to say and my anxiety would get the best of me in many social settings. So when I decided I wanted to learn how to do art in a deeper way in 2008, I drew as a way to vent, but also communicate feelings I didn’t know how to express. Fast forward to my junior year of high school, 2010. I believe the month was October. My mom had gotten this new card making software on the computer and I noticed that this software allowed me to crop and cut out images and make them into something completely different. I took an image of myself on my very old flip phone, and uploaded it to the program. I fiddled around with it until I was satisfied I’d learned how to work it. I went to school and showed my friends. They absolutely loved it. The next day, one of my best friends at that time asked how much it would be to do an image of her. I told her $1. For me it was just fun and I’d never thought of making money having fun. I took the dollar and went home feeling on top of the world because I created something with my own hands and someone liked it enough to want to pay money for it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is LaKendra Huckaby and the name of my business is The Art of Huck.

Spanning across multiple mediums, my work includes my music, murals, graffiti, painting, illustrations, and digital creations as well as community shows and classes with organizations like Girls Inc. While my mediums are various, the energy behind my work is consistently positive, optimistic, and empowering.

I discovered my love for creation as a toddler. My mother was an artist, and would let me draw and color while she herself also created. When I entered high school, I took my first graphic design class, where I began to consider the possibility of making a living doing what I’d fallen in love with – creating art. After high school,I continued studying graphic design at CVCC, where I also explored animation and illustration. I then went on to study at the Art Institute of Atlanta, where I gained the confidence needed to venture out and start a business on my own.

Growing up, I remember creating music and singing in church, while traveling often and experiencing a lot as a child in relation to my identity. I didn’t see myself represented in art or media, such as Disney for example. I grew up thinking something was wrong with me. I remember being teased for features such as my nose, skin color, lips, and hair texture. I realized that it was my duty as an artist to make sure little girls growing up didn’t experience the same thing. So my art has been about expressing positive imagery for people who look like me, while also trying to show all people ‘You’re beautiful as you are.’ While I create artwork for clients of all ethnicities, I believe we can all relate in that everybody just wants to feel beautiful, seen, and like their voice and identity matters. That’s what I try to get across through my art.

My art is often inspired by an eye for finding beauty in the realities of life. I remember riding the metro in New York and seeing the sunrise through the buildings as a beautiful sight. So many of us are always on ‘go.’ So few of us are present. I want to create things that make people stop and notice that the things we see every day are actually beautiful.

An abandoned lot with flowers growing in it, a face that looks a little different from the rest – my art’s goal is to pause time, and invite the viewer to look closer and see that an ordinary life is beautiful.

After spending some time away from my hometown, I returned to find the city “waking up to artists.” I found that Columbus was realizing the value of artists, and was happy for the chance to re-introduce myself in the Chattahoochee Valley.

And since my return, my art has caught the eye of the local community and far beyond. My successes as an artist include creating several pieces for celebrities, such as R&B artists Miguel and Lion Babe. Actress Taraji P. Henson has shared and supported my art, and I’ve been featured on several platforms such as Instagram and Tumblr.

Last February, I was given the honor of desiging the fabric that was worn on the red carpet by Caroline Wanga, the CEO of Essence magazine during the Essence “Black Women in Hollywood” event. I painted affirmations into the fabric and was honored that Wanga read the affirmations “Love”, “Authentic”, “Power” aloud during an interview, calling the piece an “armor of protection.” My artwork was also worn by a representative of Gertrude “Ma” Rainey on the red carpet when she accepted the late singers Grammy award last year, and an art piece I created for the Ma Rainey celebration is on display in the Ma Rainey House and Blues Museum.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I’ve been sharing my work for over a decade on social media. Originally, I was sharing my work just as a way to vent what I was feeling into what I felt to be a safe space. As the world of social media has grown and evolved so has my relationship with it. My audience building began to come as I realized the importance of authenticity and rawness in the social space. I went from just posting and sharing images to opening up a little more about the purpose and stories behind each piece.My art comes from my soul, the good, the bad, the ugly, the confusing, the human. There was and still is a necessity for me to be vulnerable and open about every part. I engaged with my audience asking them questions and letting them know my space was also a safe space for them. Something that has been really special for me along this journey is the conversations and the connections. I’ve been able to meet and touch people with my work I would’ve never imagined I could. My work has been able to give a voice to people who were originally afraid to speak. My social media growth has occurred because I am open, authentically myself, and unashamed in the parts of me that may not be so pretty, so colorful, or appealing.

The best advice I can give to anyone building their following in these times is to first always be yourself. I understand there is sometimes fear in being ourselves and being vulnerable, but you just never know who may feel the same way you do or has gone through what you’ve gone through. Authenticity is key.

Another piece of advice I’d like to give is to have fun with it. I understand social media is business oriented for many of us, but if you’re not having fun with it as well, what’s the point. Life is short and it is important to spend this life doing things you love. Whether it’s switching it up and making a video, writing a silly song to promote something, or simply just taking picture of yourself basking in the sunshine, the fun aspect has to be there. It’s the only way to make it sustainable.

Lastly, Always remember if you’re doing what your love, it will always make room for you. Be consistent in what you love and what makes your soul feel free. The people will come. The money and the numbers will come. Speaking from experience, I never looked at the numbers. I just looked at my love for my craft and the numbers naturally rose during the process.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

Near the end of August 2022, I came up with this crazy idea that I wanted to host my first solo art show. What made it crazy was not the idea, but the amount of time I gave myself to put together an entire art show. I made the show date for November October 19. This gave me roughly about 5-6 weeks to put together an entire show complete with a collection of art I hadn’t completed, some pieces hadn’t even been started yet. When I shared with my partner what I wanted to do, we prayed about it and got to work.
The first thing I had to cover was the venue. The cost for the venue was more than I had at that time, so my first order of business was to determine what I could do to make some extra funds. I launched an art sale the same night. I was expecting very little response as the date of the sale was very close to bill time. However, the first night, I got 12 orders. I was blown away and felt that was confirmation that I was making the right choice in having this show.
I paid for the venue the next week.
Next was promotion, something I’d honestly never done on such a large scale. I got flyers made and hit the ground running talking to people, sharing my story, and just showing my art to people in the community. There were so many sleepless nights, so many conversations about why I thought this was a bad decision as I funded this entire show out of pocket.
The week of the show was upon us after a month solid of painting until 2am just to get up and home school my toddler at 7am daily, promoting all over the city for hours at least 3 days a week.
I got a call from the news station and radio station and was invited to do interviews as my last bit of promo before the show.
Show day, I was freaking out.
What if nobody came and I spent all this time and money for nothing?
What if I didn’t sell anything and the thousands of dollars was wasted?
What ifs…So many what ifs…
I put my brave face on, and walked into the venue with my family in awe of what I’d put together with my own two hands. There was so much pride in what I’d done.
That’s when the news station came out. I was shocked. They interviewed me as the doors opened and people started pouring in. I expected about 20 people to come out. There were over 100 people in the space laughing, talking, admiring the art.
I more than tripled in sells what I’d spent to make my first solo show happen.
And that was when I knew that what I was doing was for a reason and that I’d been given these talents for a reason. It was the most stressful thing I’ve ever done, but it’s something I’ll never forget no matter how deep into this journey I get.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.artofhuck.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huck.jpg/
• Facebook: LaKendra Huckaby

Image Credits
Getty Images