Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Faith Blackwell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Faith, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
It is a work in progress. I can’t say that I never have doubt or fear but that doesn’t stop me from pursuing my passion and achieving my goal. I always ask ‘what’s the worst that can happen?’ It is never as bad as I think and I keep going. Also, having various of groups of women that encourage and keep negative thoughts at bay is what keeps me going.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Showing the world bold and beautiful views of people of color and bringing joy into the lives of everyone who experiences my art. I want my art to empower people, to give them joy, to think and reflect. Over the past 5 years, I have finally found my voice as an artist. It’s to show images of beauty as it relates to black women. Through our hair, clothes, style, what have you. Many people have come up to me and shared the feelings and emotions my work has as soon as they see it. I never knew I could make such a difference with my art. I have had people literally in tears when telling me stories of how my work depicts moments and people in their lives.
I’m excited about sharing my work in various product forms so more people can afford and have a little piece of art in their home. Looking forward to working with more boutiques around the world that will carry art and products by Faith Blackwell.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
3 skills that have been impactful in my journey are: business school, networking and being open minded. I studied business in college and knowing that you don’t have to have a college degree being an artist, it does help. No one really teaches you how to sell your work and make a living as an artist. You have to learn on the go and along the way. Studying business, marketing and etc. has given me background to knowing that this IS a business. Many see it as a hobby and don’t take it seriously but you have to.
Early on, networking was key to gaining business and being able to lean on other business owners that was just starting off the same time as I was. We were able to vent to one another, learn from one another and barter services with each other to expand or portfolio and services. Having a group of like minded individuals help in those days you want to quit or are struggling. They’ve been there too and it is comforting to know.
Being open mind and leaving room to change directions. I couldn’t have predicted to direction I’d be at now. Learning from other artists has expanded my knowledge in the various forms of art I create. If I didn’t leave room to learn from others, I would’ve stifled my creativity. It would’ve been such a loss.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
As I expand and grow, I am looking for other artists and retailers who would like to host my work in their space and vice versa. Right now, I am beginning to show work at art fairs in the Midwest and abroad. One of my goals for the year is to host pop ups in various cities. I love to travel and network with different artists. If you would ask any of my friends, they know that when traveling I’m most happy when discovering art, food and culture that is new to me and what we don’t have in Indiana. People can contact me through my instagram @fb_photog_art or website: www.faithblackwellcreative.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.faithblackwellcreative.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/fb_photog_art
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/FaithBlackwell
