Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Vanna Black. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Vanna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
I would like to think that I started right when I was supposed to, but I do think what would life be like had I started sooner in my early to mid twenties. In my twenties I was in discovery mode, and shedding all the principles, rules, impressions that we bestowed upon my adolescent time. So, even though I wanted my career to start earlier – I don’t think I would have been solid and equipped to manage what I am dealing with right now.
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?
Wow! as I am trying to type the beginning I have had to backtrack several moments. I will say When I was coming out of high school I had no direction. Not really set on what I wanted to do. I just knew art had to be involved somehow. So I went to college a year after graduating high school and took up photography after working at a portrait studio in Syracuse, NY. I fell in love with photography and figured it would be nice to take up in college until… my camera was stolen! Which was very discouraging. From that negative experience, I quit working at the portrait studio and came back to Atlanta to work at an office supply store. Somehow, I managed to work myself behind the counter of the print department and was phenomenal at it. It felt like 2nd nature. I was learning how to operate photoshop and was gaining skills out of pure curiosity. I was recruited by a black owned printshop in the West End that paid way more and was able to even expand on my style and skills with print and graphic design without any formal training. This is when I knew what I wanted to do with my life. So I enrolled into Georgia State University and was accepted into their graphic design program to obtain my Bachelor of Fine Arts. I knew for certain Graphic Design was it – I felt like with the knowledge of graphic design, illustration, printing and photography skills I could create anything I wanted. I ended up working for a non-profit organization and fell out of love with Graphic Design. It was not fulfilling anymore – the passion was gone because I felt like my work as an artist (not as a graphic designer) wasn’t being appreciated. And that’s when I knew I was an true artist – I was highly emotional and protective of what I created. So, I decided that I wanted a regular job… to help me concentrate on my art – and then the instability kicked in It was going from job to job that made loved ones around me point out that I was not stable enough with job security. Telling me that I would not be successful with my art set off an rocket in my insecurities to prove them wrong. I set out to do my own art show – I challenged myself because I was so enraged by the fact someone was indirectly telling me I couldn’t do something. That is the last thing I want to hear is that I can’t do something, especially when I have a passion to create it. Which lead me to entering into art shows, and becoming a mural assistant to a very prominent Atlanta artist, and then from submitting and getting accepted into shows to being asked to participate without submitting. I continued to reach out and network and now people come to me for work which is what I prayed for.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part about being an artist is meeting others and getting to learn about them and be in alignment with what they are expecting of me as the artist they chose to work with. Creating something beautiful and custom each time. And then seeing them happy with the final product.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My mission is to get people reflecting on their internal emotions about themselves and how do they talk to themselves when others are not around. I want people to practice good mental health strategies. The state of the world depends on us being kind to each other.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.vannablack.art
- Instagram: @therealvannablack