Meet Sunahtah Jones

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sunahtah Jones.

Hi Sunahtah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember. When I learned how to write, I started writing poems and short stories. Then I started drawing – I would lock myself in my room and just draw for hours. Art has always been an outlet for me and a way for me to make sense of the world around me, and most of all, myself. As I got older, I pretty much let society convince me that I needed to go to school, and that art wasn’t a viable life path. I went to school, got my bachelor’s and master’s in Tampa, Florida, but I was never really happy with what I was doing. Creating art has always brought me a pure and unmatched level of fulfillment and joy. I was frequently trying to incorporate my art into my academic work. I was convinced that my dream was to be accepted into a doctoral program at Emory in Atlanta. I ended up getting denied, and it devastated me. That moment was both a pivotal moment in my life and one of the best things to ever happen to me because from that day on, I decided that my path is my art – and that I would therefore pour all of myself into my art. I decided that I was going to move to Atlanta anyway and finally take myself seriously as an artist. Once my lease ended in March 2020, I packed up my apartment and moved to Atlanta with my mattress strapped to the top of my car. In August 2020, I started my digital arts brand Spicecamvisuals, and then later created a Black queer film collective called Optic35. Since moving to Atlanta, I’ve grown tremendously as a creative and have accomplished more in a year and a half than I could have imagined. The uniqueness of my journey to this point just makes the progress all the more sweet.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all, but it has absolutely been worth the trials and tribulations that I’ve experienced thus far. Being a freelance artist is very hard work. You’re managing yourself, your brand, marketing, and content creation while also being responsible for sustaining yourself so that you can create in the first place. Some of the struggles that I’ve experienced are difficult clients, being told by brands/companies that I didn’t have enough agency experience, being able to afford creative equipment, seeing revenue from my art, lack of opportunity and also balancing my mental health. Trying to create and build your brand, while also dealing with financial obligations can really take a toll on your mental health. Pouring myself into my art and leaning on the people in my life who love and support me has helped me overcome every hurdle that I’ve encountered. The more experienced I become, the more important it is for me to stay aligned and have a genuine support system.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Black lesbian, nonbinary Digital Artist, Photographer, and Videographer. I specialize in surrealism, afrofuturism, and portrait photography. My work centers Blackness, raw emotion, deep tones, and thought provoking imagery that incorporates different realities into one piece. My artwork encourages viewers to tap into subconscious thought and ask themselves questions that interrogate what “reality” even means to them. I am the most proud of forming a Black queer film collective and being able to create artwork that prioritizes Black experiences without exhibiting our traumas as central to our existence. My art is unique and a reflection of the worlds that exist inside of my mind. My artistic techniques and use of both afrofuturism and surrealism make my work distinct and otherworldly. I’m very proud of the fact that my artwork is truly one of a kind and a new experience for anyone who views it.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I am a self-taught artist, so using online resources has helped me tremendously as an artist. I use Adobe suite and Procreate to create both still and animated versions of my work. Youtube is such an amazing resource and I really encourage creatives to take advantage of the vast amount of knowledge that is on that site. When I was first trying to incorporate metallic textures into my digital artwork, it took me all of two minutes to learn how to do it from a short youtube video. Youtube allows you to learn so much, on your own time and at your own pace. Organizational apps are also essential for me. If I don’t write things down, especially my obligations, I’m almost guaranteed to forget. Frequently using my email, notes, and calendar apps to keep track of my schedule and life/creative responsibilities keeps me on top of my schedule and various obligations.

Pricing:

• Portrait Photography – $150/HR
• Product Photography|Event Photography – $175/HR
• Videography – $175/HR+
• Brand Artwork (Music Artwork/Visualizer/Book Cover/Flyer, etc.) – $75
• Limited Edition Visuals – $450+

Contact Info:

• Email: spicecamvisuals@gmail.com
• Website: spicecamvisuals.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spicecamvisuals/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/spicecamvisuals
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkAIcrfMRsd1ftPdiD2vSwA
• Other: https://opensea.io/SPICECAMVISUALS