Today we’d like to introduce you to Felicity Folson
Felicity, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
As a child, I always wanted to figure things out by myself. It didn’t matter what it was. If I was curious about it, I would figure it out before the sun went down. I used to play games with my dad a lot, which led me into being intrigued by technology. When I was in high school, I wrote a story that eventually got published on Wattpad. It gained a little attention around school when a few people found out it was me. I started making custom book covers for myself, which made me dive deeper into different ways I can make my visions come true. I always wondered what my gift was. I even tried to branch out and do different things, but I always lost interest. My creativity alone fueled the passion I have for graphic design. Every time I tried to steer towards something different, I’d get a random idea or the urge to try something new. As I got older, I realized that I was looking for something that was within me the whole time. It was never forced or copied, and it came strictly from my heart.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I can be my worst enemy at times. I would constantly beat myself up, thinking that if my work didn’t look a certain way, it wasn’t good. I could spend hours, even days, trying to critique my projects until I was satisfied. It would look perfect to others, but to me it still wasn’t good enough. I was so hard on myself to the point I forgot why I fell in love with what I do. I felt like everything had to be “perfect,” but this year made me realize that I would rather have authenticity over perfection. Nothing is ever going to be perfect, but it will always be remembered when you’re passionate about what you do.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Melaninprint?
When I started my graphics business, I didn’t know what to call it, I just knew I wanted to create. I did projects on the side, but I didn’t take it seriously at the time. I was still a teenager, so it was just for fun. I started out as “Melanin.fe Graphics,” but it didn’t feel original, so I waited on the name. A lot of people may ask, “Where did “melanin” come from?” and my answer every time will be because I love the color of my skin. I’m very proud to be apart of the melanin community, and I’ll never stop being loud about it. Over time I started to take my craft seriously, and I knew I needed a name that I actually put thought into. When I started my rebrand, I kept thinking of “The Blueprint,” and then for some reason I wanted to replace “Blue” with “Melanin.” I said it out loud and realized it had a ring to it. Ever since that day, it was established that “The Melaninprint” was my new name, and my color schemes revolve around different shades of melanin. I offer a wide variety of services. Some examples are motion design, graphic design, and video editing. The list goes on, and it expands every day. I’m always learning and wanting to do more. I love helping people make their vision come true, it makes me put my all into every idea that was brought to me. Knowing that my clients trust me to help bring their vision to life makes me go harder every time. I want every future client to know that when you come to me, the passion you have to make your vision come to life becomes mine as well.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
It’s never too late to start chasing your dreams. I had to break myself out of that perfectionist mentality. If God gives you a gift, use it. You don’t know who’s watching or who it could help, even if it’s just to put a smile on their face. I found myself putting everything on the back burner, and at one point I thought I lost my spark because that’s what it felt like. I always told myself, “I’ll start when this is perfect” or “I don’t have time.” The truth is, I had to start making time. I woke up one day and just started. I stopped thinking of it as a “job” because I found happiness in what I do. It was just something fun for me to do when I was a teenager, but now I want to express my creativity through everything I touch. I started showing my work to people instead of gatekeeping it, and they always believed that I could go far with it. Now I want to showcase everything I have to offer. I know my brand is going to take me places that I’ve dreamed of since I was a little girl. This is just the beginning, and I’m blessed to be able to start this chapter while telling my story on how it began.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelaninprint
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@themelaninprintllc
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@themelaninprintllc
Image Credits
Felicity Folson
