Meet Shadra Strickland

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

Shadra, 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?

I was raised in Atlanta as an only child and developed a rich internal world by entertaining myself through reading, writing, and drawing. I was very tall for my age and stand at 6″3′ today, but being somewhat of an introvert, I rarely felt comfortable being seen. Over time, my mother and family helped develop my artistic gifts and talents, and my mother encouraged me to participate in many social activities at school. When I would say I was too shy to do something or I couldn’t, she and my grandmother would vehemently oppose the idea and push me to try. I failed many times, but continued to try and learn from my mistakes until I accomplished my goals. My mother was a gifted educator who also made me finish every project I started. I think that also shaped my confidence because I know now that the feeling of winning is directly tied to seeing something through to the end.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m one of those annoying multi-hyphenates who wears a lot of hats. I began my career as a children’s book illustrator. My first illustrated book, BIRD, written by Zetta Elliott won many awards and launched me into the public eye. That was in 2009. Since then, I have illustrated for other authors, including Toni Morrison & her son Slade Morrison, and last year, I published my first author/illustrated titled JUMP IN, a book about a community at play through double dutch.

Alongside my publishing work, I am the current Chair of Illustration at the Maryland Institute of Art where I have taught since 2011. Through working with students in our Advanced Book Illustration course, I became an agent-at-large, where I now represent 7 artists and continue to support artist/storytellers.

My art studio, Jump In Studio, Inc. is still centered on writing and illustrating children’s literature. I also sell my work online and have illustrated for television and institutions. I am under contract for three authored books, two of which I will be illustrating and two books are in progress now that are written by other authors.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I have been successful because of my thoughtfulness, self-awareness, and connectedness. When I was young and doing work that didn’t fulfill or sustain me, I would say that it wasn’t “my real life.”, but I also knew that I had to see each phase through in order to ascend to the next level.

I still love to learn, and my deep-rooted respect and appreciation for education have paid off in surprising ways over and over. My young self certainly did not think “college professor” would be a part of my journey, and though I have been a disseminator of knowledge, the job has also placed me in a position of constant evolution and growth for myself and my students.

I’ve been living “my real life” for many years now, and I’m beginning to feel another shift coming. My advice to young artists is to be brave. Think past the programming that you’re subjected to and trust yourselves. The answers lie within before they are seen on the outside.

And read!

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

Do both! You should absolutely lean on your strengths, but even those need to be refined and nurtured over time. Someone once asked me why I work in different mediums or styles as an illustrator. I replied, “I paid a lot of money to go to art school. I’m going to use everything I learned!”

Both approaches have benefits and setbacks. Focusing on your strengths as a person, a brand, or a business and being consistent can undoubtedly make you a reliable collaborator. Folks will know precisely what they will get when they hire you or buy your product. On the other hand, if you are flexible and inventive at every turn and stay on top of trends and ideas, your clients know they can hire you for unique and exciting solutions.

The sweet spot may be somewhere in the middle. You can prove your product early on and then see if you can bring your audience along when you begin to push boundaries. The artist/entrepreneur ultimately has to do what’s best for them.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Nadirah Iman Photography

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
What would your closest friends say really matters to you?

If you asked your best friends what really drives you—what they think matters most in

Highlighter Series
When do you feel most at peace?

In a culture that often celebrates hustle and noise, peace can feel rare. Yet, peace

Highlighter Series
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?

Almost everything is multisided – including the occurrences that give us pain. So, we asked