Today we’d like to introduce you to Shema Kamau.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
A year ago, I opened up an Instagram page simply out of boredom. I made collage edits and it was really popular at the time. At first, I did them for friends and family but then I started doing them for popular hoopers around ATL. My first time getting my work noticed was when I made a collage for Alyn Breed who at the time played for AOT and McEachern. He reposted it on his Instagram page and from there people began hitting my inbox for edits. I then realized I could make some money from doing this. Fast forward to the beginning of the school year my productivity went down a bit but I still had a lot of ideas. This is when I started to get into photography and videography. A friend of mine saw that that’s what I wanted to do so he gave me a camera they weren’t using anymore and I got to work. I learned the inside and outside of the camera and from there I was at every home game for North Cobb. It didn’t matter what sport. As the second semester of my junior year began, I got hit with a reality check. One of my good friends had passed away. Also, my other friend suffered bad injuries. This made me realize that we all have our time to go but we don’t know when that is. So, we gotta take each day with a smile and treat everyone right. That motivated me more than ever to keep going. Through prayer I got out of that dark place and was able to continue doing what I enjoyed. My friend that suffered injuries got back to being healthy and we talked about Andre how we can help carry on his legacy. Which is why I talked about that part. Long Live Dre is what we say. The motivation I got from this tragic event helped me take strides. I made edits that were noticed by Five Star athletes as well as some NBA players. Athletes that reposted my work include: Jalen Green, Sharife Cooper, Bronny James, Shareef O’Neal, Brandon Boston Jr, Noah Farrakhan, Caleb Love and others. This was by far the most love I’ve received on my edits in a while. But that didn’t prepare me for what came next. At the end of April, I was contacted by Quality Control Records/ Capital Records to do a cover for the artist Lil Baby. They wanted me to animate the cover for promotion and that’s what I did. After a couple drafts, I was able to turn it in for Lil Baby’s “My Turn Deluxe” album. This helped my page skyrocket. I thank everyone that supported me. So, with all that support I decided to start a clothing brand. I wasn’t expecting the turn out but the first two days I got many sales. I’m nowhere near where I want to be and there is more to be done. I’ve moved to Arizona and hope to continue that momentum here and build something for my family. Stay tuned for what next. SMK signing out.
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?
Some obstacles I faced was putting a lot of work into a project but it not getting the acknowledgement I wanted.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I do visuals. Visuals is a broad word. I do more than just edits, I do photography, videography, clothing design, and animation. I’m proud that people can reach me for more than just editing.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was interested in basketball and soccer. Personality wise I liked talking to everyone at any time. I guess I just liked being social.
Contact Info:
- Website: visualsbysmk.com
- Phone: 6027329065
- Email: visualsbysmk.co@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/visualsbysmk/
- Twitter: twitter.com/KamauShema
- Other: Instagram.com/shema.kamau
Image Credit:
Shema Kamau and Mariam Kamau
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