Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Henderson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Joshua. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I got my start early in elementary school. I didn’t realize how good my work was until my peers noticed and acknowledged it. Later in middle school, I learned some entrepreneurship qualities, pricing work and the exchange between the artist and client. The same happened in college, where I got an early taste of a freelance graphic designer before earning my degree. As a child, the people in my corner helped me grow as an individual and an artist. My mother told me if you can’t do anything else, make sure you do right by people. I wasn’t always good at heeding my mentor’s and teacher’s words. The older I got, the more that same advice made sense.
So over the years, I made it my mission to be an influence and teach others to get over that hump of an everyday artist. My professors from NC A&T pushed me in the direction of a teacher. I have an interdisciplinary approach to my artwork. My professor Darlene McClinton gave me several opportunities to share my knowledge with students. I would even come back to visit the art department and teach a few design classes to her students. Being a self-sufficient artist who understands graphic design makes promoting yourself and funding your ambitions easier. From preparing your work for print or other mediums to creating promotions for web and social media, you get through some hurdles of getting your name out there. My start came from the groundwork long before being an artist was apart of my career path. All the good and bad experiences between clients, friends and loved ones is the key. When you learn from the lessons life teaches you about yourself, you can make the course to success much quicker.
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?
I almost pulled my hair out and paced a dent in the floor from the stress of being a freelance graphic artist. I think it was a nervous breakdown. My partner never seen me like that before. I don’t plan on going back to that place again. I’m much stronger now. It’s going to take more than that to get me to that place again because I’m smarter now. The road has some necessary, uncontrollable hurdles like weather and other drivers. However, if you take the same road every day and run over the same pothole you know is there, that’s on you. I do my best to navigate the bumpy roads and take a few punches. Every plane ride comes with turbulence. That is inevitable.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Relax Clothing Brand – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My clothing brand, called Relax, started by creating street art. The message in the graffiti was, “It’s just art, chill.” My time as a street artist was short-lived for the need to make a sustainable living from art. I wanted to sell art on a commercial level. I wanted to be looked at as an Illustrator/Painter but everyone knew me as a graphic designer. I created illustration based album art and frequently lived painted and showcased in exhibitions. However, I needed a way for people to access my work and promote that work simultaneously. The Idea to create a brand came to me after college.
I’m most proud of making the vision in my head plain and in the real world for people to consume and enjoy. People understand the message “Relax,” its an affirmation, a command. It’s good advice. I’m different from others because I create the same type of work, no matter the medium, mostly on my own. It’s not an easy feat to create work on paper, then digitally illustrate it, turn it into a logo, brand it and animate it. I’m set apart because I’m a visionary and can see things through to an attractive and consumable entity. On the other side, I’m not here to necessarily have corporate appeal. The vibe I create is organic and raw. It’s humorous and transparent. That’s what makes me different.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I need a team for animation, my characters as vinyl toys, and my first large scale, big-budget solo show. Then I can die happy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.whatisrelax.com/
- Email: relaxclothingbrand@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatisrelax/?hl=en
- Other: https://joshhendersonart.squarespace.com/
Image Credit:
@ubuntugraphics, @gloria.c.zavaleta
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