We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yoshika Greene a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Yoshika, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

One of the most notable risks I have taken as a freelance designer and artist is just putting myself out there and reaching out to potential clients. I think there is a lot of fear and imposter syndrome that can come with entering a creative field. It involves taking the risk of someone disliking your work and being rejected.

My experience in education has only really taught the technical aspects of design and art, and not so much the interpersonal relationships that you create when working with a client. I really only learned communication skills when I started my freelance work, and it was difficult. I had to learn through on the job experience with my clients, learning how to create designs that fit the needs of their business, trying to create an aesthetic that they are looking for, and learning to defend your work when a client may not understand it. It can be quite confronting to have someone criticize your work or reject your proposal.

I don’t think that the nuances of building a relationship with your client can be properly taught in a classroom – A designer or artist really has to take the first step to put their work out there.

Yoshika, 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 freelance designer and artist who has been working in Baltimore for two years now. I work mostly in graphic design, creating branding systems for businesses, promotional assets, web and print assets. I also work as a photographer, photographing events, portraits and products. I have the most experience working with local nonprofits and branding short term campaigns, such as Requity Inc., WGF Studio and the Peale Center.

My work is influenced by my background in fine art, which has allowed me to see graphic design more fluidly. I am interested in finding alternative approaches to design, such as experimenting with physical designs and bringing them into my digital work. Depending on the client, I incorporate my photography into the designs to create a more engaging, dynamic design.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Baltimore has a large community of creatives that I wish I knew to connect with when I first began my freelance work. Creative Alliance is an organization that has so many opportunities to connect with other designers, including events for creatives to showcase their work. There is also Eye on Design AIGA, a design organization that provides educational articles that promote design theory and current trends in the design world.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is creating work that helps other people. When I design, I want to create something eye catching, that can draw a passerby’s attention. Good design is able to engage and draw people in, and make them pay attention to what you are communicating through your work.

Through design I have been able to contribute to projects that benefit the local community. I branded The Guardians Project, a campaign to celebrate Black female leaders in local Baltimore communities. This project has been one of the most rewarding experiences because I helped to give these communities a platform for advocacy and obtain more resources to better their communities.

That is another thing – design and art have allowed me to connect and grow a circle of creatives that share similar values and goals. I think design can bring people together, spark conversations and sharing of ideas, and build something that is more meaningful.

Contact Info:

• Website: yoshikagreene.studio
• Instagram: @yoshikagreene
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yoshikagreene