Meet Yogi Dada

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yogi Dada.

So, before we jump into specific questions about your art, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was raised in upstate New York and I have been creative since childhood. My Mother put the first paintbrush in my hand at four years old. I pursued art all the way through college, earning my Bachelors of Fine Art from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. My scholastic experience as an Artist was less than favorable. My biggest influences are African culture and graffiti, neither form was supported or celebrated in college. I was often told my artwork was “too bright” or “too ethnic”, it really wore on my identity as an Artist. So, after graduation I stopped painting for 17 years. I worked as an Optician during this time. My Mother’s prayers were that I would eventually leave my job and return to my craft. She passed in 2009 from breast cancer and in 2010, I picked up my brush again and the first Dadas were made.

I hand-painted a set of large, flat wooden earrings with funky graffiti style motifs telling my story, “NY Chick/Poet/RocCity/Rapper.” I wore them throughout Atlanta while visiting a friend for a few days and everywhere I went people asked, “WHERE did you get those earrings?!” It was shocking! After a year of virtually giving Dadas away, I prayed and asked God if this was a business opportunity. He replied, “Who gave you the gift to paint?” By 2012 YOGI DADA became an LLC.

I am sure I have made at least two thousand sets of Custom painted DADAS since inception. Dadas are hand-painted earrings I design front and back with a different design on all four sides. My Clients are primarily confident women who have something to say and I am their bullhorn of color. Designs originate with a consultation around my Client’s story, their favorite colors and special symbols (I use a lot of Adinkra symbols in my work). 

To meet demand, I released my Signature Series line in 2014, a collection of printed Dadas. It took years to achieve a quality that now looks and feels very much like original hand painted Dadas. I have had multiple celebrities wear my designs, including Countess Vaughn, Jill Scott, Melanie Fiona, Natalie “The Floacist” of Floetry, Christina Johnson, Adele Givens and more. Almost every connection came from my amazing friends and Clients who in most cases took their Dadas right out of their ears and gifted Celebrities when the opportunity presented itself. 

Currently, I am still taking limited Custom Orders as I continue to reignite my original passion of painting on canvas. I created the “Go Back to Africa” series Summer 2019, focusing on my love of African art and graffiti once again. 

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It definitely has been anything but smooth. The hardest parts have been doing it alone, becoming secure in my gift, learning to think like a business owner, and access to sufficient capital. 

My mother was my biggest supporter. Without her here, I often felt utterly alone on this new path of leaving a corporate job and returning to my childhood passion. But I remember the words she whispered to me one day, “Keep going sugar, it’s worth it.”

On a daily basis, it can be challenging to keep myself motivated. As a “solopreneur” I manage creating the artwork, photography, editing, website, marketing, promotion and branding, shipping and fulfillment, Customer Service, design consultations, inventory, bookkeeping, social media and more. But I do it by God’s grace. It has taken time and de-programming to sincerely believe I am truly gifted and divinely placed on my path. It is the actuality of walking on my path with passion and love that makes me a success in the eyes of God.

Like many Artists, preparing for the business aspect has not come easy for me. But I learned this is a part of building a brand as an Artist. I have taken numerous business preparation classes and prepared a business plan almost every year since 2012. However, having access to sufficient capital and putting together the right team will definitely take my brand to the next level.

We’d love to hear more about your art.
Alongside being a painter I am also a performance Artist (Poet, Singer, Author, Sign Language Artist, Rapper, African Djembe Player). But it is the hand-painted one of a kind Dadas that most of my audience knows me for. It is the indescribable “it factor” that draws people to my work. That thing that you can’t describe but separates one thing from another. My Clients know Dadas anywhere, airports, restaurants, television, etc. My anointing is my style. My use of color and design resonates spiritually with others and draws them into the world that is Yogi Dada. A world of freedom, power and brilliant self-celebration. 

My biggest influences are my love for graffiti and the brilliant color of African culture. Growing up in upstate New York during the ’70s and ’80s when hip hop was birthed was a wonderful time of explosive creativity.

What I am most proud today of as a company is how my brand is embraced in the hearts and minds of my Clients. They say, “My Dadas make me feel good.” After hearing this for years, I finally realized it’s not just an empty slogan, but a real experiential spiritual transference through color. My Clients esteem their Dadas over traditional “earrings” because of what they experience “rocking dem Dadas”. My Clients have been my biggest inspiration to keep going when I wanted to quit and have fueled my passion when I was dry. Building relationships with amazing people through my art has been the highlight of being Yogi Dada.

I believe what sets me apart from other earring designers is divine direction in great detail in each design. Hand painted Dadas require a lot of time, upwards of 40 hours in many cases. I believe it reflects in the finished artwork. 

I rarely sketch my designs, but paint from the spirit. I give everything to my designs, creating something I should want to keep them for myself. If I don’t LOVE it, neither will anyone else.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I first give credit to God for giving me the gift of creative artistry. Not only did He allow me to recapture my passion after many years of believing I didn’t have the gift, I have had incredible opportunities to develop along the way. I am forever grateful that He allowed me to return to my first love. My cheerleaders have been my family, my Mom, who left her mantras on my heart, “Do it afraid” and “What does hard have to do with anything?” And my Dad who has always says, “Never give up.” Their words resonate in my soul when failure knocks at the door of my mind. My sister and my brother are always proud to say, “That’s my sister!” I carry my family in every success and overcoming every challenge.

My amazing church families at St. Paul AME Church and St. John AME Church, Birmingham, AL. My Pastor, Dr. Ronald D. Sterling has truly kept me grounded in what’s really important in life and trusting God with everything that concerns me. The prayers, financial support and opportunities they have poured into me are eternal. My journey has been one wrapped in divine happenings from the beginning.

My Clients have been my biggest supporters. They support me financially, emotionally, and beyond. They are God’s hands in the earth pushing me along when I didn’t think I could go on. They continually take their Dadas out of their ears and gift them to others. They value me and my artwork. They are better than any marketing plan I could devise. Their love and loyalty get the story told around the world.

My Mentors have been amazing! Organizations like CoStarters, Create Bham, United Way, Alabama Small Business Development Center and Nest Artisan Guild have been strong stabilizers, supporters and advocates for my work as an Artist. They have helped with everything from funding to growth opportunities. In particular, Nest was instrumental in my attending a four-day Artisan Incubator with the global leader in high-end retail Hermes, Summer 2019. I was selected from a national search alongside 14 other Artists to visit New York City last August and learn from their experts. I am currently participating as a business case study in their partnership with the French based bank PNB Paribas for an upcoming Makers United webinar for the Birmingham, AL market at the end of September. I will also be a guest speaker for this event sharing on “Customer Service with Heart”, an approach to serving people in a two-dimenstional world.

CoStarters and Create Bham gave me an incredible business foundation to understand the mechanics of running a business and reinforced my identity as an elite Artist. They continue to support and guide me even today as graduates from this program are more like family. It was actually my fellow CoStarter classmate that introduced me to Nest Artisan Guild and thereby the Hermes opportunity. I have served as a guest speaker several times, returning to speak to students like myself, encouraging them on their journey. 

I participated in the United Way Individual Development Program, 2019. Because I had a business plan in place that was approved by the Small Business Association, I was afforded the opportunity to enroll. For every $1 I saved, the plan put $2 into my savings account up to $6000. I was able to purchase supplies and cover business needs to keep going. I was so excited to participate, I developed a Business Plan Preparation Seminar geared towards creatives so others would be equipped for financial opportunities when they present themselves. United Way also invited me as a guest speaker for one of their specialized events and asked to highlight Yogi Dada as a success story in an upcoming article of “wins” with United Way.

Overall, it is the “Wow” moment from my Clients and many, many prayers that keeps Yogi Dada going.

Pricing:

• Original/Custom One of a Kind Dadas (Wearable Artwork) $500+
• Design Consultation $150 
• Canvas Art $1200 – $10K+
• Signature Series Prints $35 – $125

Contact Info:

• Website: Yogidada.com
• Phone: (205) 266-4921
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogidadaart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YogiDadaWorld

Image Credit:
Photographer Eric DeJuan “Color Color” Series (blue feathers, white wig pic, painted tie pic)
Photographer Larry O. Gay (Yogi Dada headshot in orange)
Photographer – YOGI DADA (all other pics)

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