Today we’d like to introduce you to Nailah Smith.
Hi Nailah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m a professionally trained artist from Fort Myers, Florida. I’ve been painting my whole life. I moved to Atlanta in 2006 to attend SCAD and graduated with my bachelor’s. After going through a really rough time, I decided to make East Atlanta my home so that I could be surrounded by the city’s murals and street art and truly become engulfed in my artwork. I took a leap of faith and decided to finally try being an artist full time and I haven’t looked back since. I still can’t believe it, but I have now been featured on CBS, NBC, WSBTV, and Brinson & Banks. I specialize in creating works of art that bring you little moments of joy and inspiration throughout your day. My intention is to brighten up the world and turn ordinary locations into joyful and inspiring places where people’s imaginations flourish.
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?
The road is never smooth for a brand new entrepreneur, never knowing what project or client will come next. I spent many nights crying and praying, worried that maybe something wouldn’t come. And yet, something always did. I always reminded myself of the bible verse that says if God feeds the birds, why wouldn’t he look out for you? And I just continued to walk by faith. Now, I fully trust that something is always coming and my path will only continue to be awesome!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work will always contain extremely bright colors, I love and adore yellow. If my client allows it, I will always find a way to throw some gold leaf in there too. My murals are bright and cheery. My paintings on canvas are a mixture of colorful, airy, calm and dreamy. I paint a lot of commissions so they’re always different. I love to paint photos. I think it’s so much fun to bring a photo to life through a painting perspective. There’s nothing cooler!
But I have to say, I am most proud of my murals because they get to reach the most people. It’s just too cool to get to interact with people while I am working on a piece in public versus working in the privacy of my studio. There’s just something about directly seeing in real-time how my artwork affects them in a positive way. Makes me feel like I am doing what I am here for.
What does success mean to you?
I define success as having control of your time and how you spend your day while also being comfortable financially.
Pricing:
- Murals – Currently $12 to $30/sq. ft. depending on detail required
- Paintings – Prices vary, starting at $1,800
Contact Info:
- Email: nailah@nailahsmith.com
- Website: https://iamnailah.myportfolio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamnailahd/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs9WV9FVpawGNtmxZXahQrg
