Today we’d like to introduce you to Nita Thompson.
Nita, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Ever since I can remember, I loved art. I would always be in my room coloring something or creating my own unique abstract doodles. I’m originally from Michigan. After my parents got married when I was five, we moved to Germany. I experienced such a culture shock but it was well worth it. I got to experience so many different things while I was there. My dad was a medic in the Army. It was so fascinating to me, hearing all of his stories and how his eyes would light up talking about it made me want to work in the medical field. We moved to Maryland around 1999 and my views on what I wanted to do changed. I began focusing more on becoming a nurse rather than what I truly wanted. After graduation, I went off to Bowie State University which is an HBCU in Maryland. It was there that my spark for art came back and I changed my major from nursing to Graphic Design.
Throughout my time there, I freelanced here and there. I won a lot of art shows and I felt really confident but when it was time to actually find a job I wasn’t prepared for it. I ended up working odd jobs here and there but I knew what I was doing wasn’t for me. I didn’t want to be one of those people who got a degree and it stopped right there – I wanted to use it. I ended up researching grad schools and came across SCAD. A friend of mine who went to Bowie with me was attending SCAD at the time and when I asked him how was it, he said it was the best decision he had ever made. I knew I had to go. I told my mom I think like a week before class started that I was going to school and she was like “okay, get down there and make some noise” – so I packed up and headed out on the road.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Far from smooth, but anything that you really want in life should never be easy. I’ve had a lot of struggles trying to achieve my dreams, like going on interviews and it turned into a “Black Hair 101” session. I have people tell me that my natural hair state wasn’t “kept” and if I ever thought about straightening it. I want to be taken seriously in this industry but I shouldn’t have to comprise who I’ am as an individual. I love me and I shouldn’t have to alter that. In the words of Kevin Carroll “I know that I’m not for everybody” and I’m okay with that.
My parents have always taught me to push for what I want in life. Some doors won’t open for me and if they don’t, I can either move along or make my own door. I have been blessed to have the people that I have in my corner. People who genuinely want to see me succeed and to reach my full potential.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Siyou Designs – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
My business is called Siyou Designs. I specialize in branding and marketing and some UX/UI Experience. What I’m most proud of my company is the work I have produced. I put a lot of thought and hard work into them. What sets me apart from others is the experience I provide for my clients – I bring them on the journey with me so they can feel apart of the process. It’s important to me that I get their vision right – anything I create for a client should reflect them 100%.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
After graduation, the future is bright for me, I can feel it. I would love to work with an agency where I can gain more experience and connections. My ultimate goal one day would be to open my very own agency where I can help other creators like myself to thrive in this field.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.siyoudesigns.com
- Phone: 240-285-9208
- Email: contact@siyoudesigns.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/siyoudesigns
- Facebook: facebook.com/siyoudesigns
Image Credit:
The picture of me was taken by: Gracy Liu
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