Today we’d like to introduce you to Maxine Wint.
Hi Maxine, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I initially came to Atlanta for school, I got accepted into the illustrious Clark Atlanta University and had to transition from being a Chicago city girl from the south side to a down south girl. I was at the school studying mass media and that’s what got me into the more creative side of myself. I’ve always been creative though, I took lots of art courses in high school and I was a part of a world-renowned choir since I was in middle school. On top of that my mom is a famous Chicago house musician (Dana Divine) so art and creativity has always been in my blood. I wanted to utilize all those things I learned in high school and throughout life and try to make a difference with my art so I started taking photos. My first year, I ended up doing a lot of intern work in the industry and that just opened my eyes to the possibilities I could create with my talents and drive. Unfortunately due to personal reasons, I had to transfer from the institution but I will never forget the lessons I learned from being in the AUC and attending an HBCU, and to be honest, I’ll always consider myself a panther. After coming back home from ATL, I had a motivation to prove myself that all of these crazy fantasies and dreams I had for my life could come true, I just had to be more dedicated and motivated and have faith that I was on the right path. I felt I lost a little direction when moving back to Chicago because I felt as though I was taking a step back rather than forward. After a semester of attending a community college, I decided I wanted to apply for art school. I remember in high school, my art teacher always told me that I would do great at an art school because of the passion I had for creating art. I looked up some of the top art schools in the nation and one of the happened to be located in my city which was the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I didn’t tell anyone I was applying to the school I just did it, I created a portfolio from some of the work I created in ATL and being in school and submitted it, hoping for positive news. A few months went by and I honestly forgot about the application, then I got a package in the mail from the school saying I got in. However, I ended up having to face another reality, How was I gonna pay for school?
I know everyone has their own beliefs and religious practices but personally I believe in god. After realizing how much tuition was gonna be I really had to start relying on god and the universe to send me some type of miracle so I would be able to attend such a good institution without having to get rid of my arm and leg after graduating college. I truly believed I was getting back on track and I started envisioning a life of me being an art student and learning new things. I immersed myself in the idea that my destiny was greater than all the challenges I had faced in the previous years and I could just tell that this was just going to be the beginning to an abundant life. Then I got a confirmation. It was about a month before classes were going to start and I got an email from financial aid saying that I was the first recipient of a FULL TUITION scholarship honoring one of the black women who was a part of the SAIC staff that had passed away due to covid, her name was Lynika Strozier and I will forever be grateful for the legacy she left for me to continue.
Since my first semester, I’ve learned so much. Because of the resources at the school, I’m able to take my craft to a completely new level and learn things I never would’ve had access too. Every photoshoot I do, I feel like I get better and better and that just goes to show how as long as you continue working on your craft, overtime you just naturally get better due to experience and gaining new knowledge. Since I feel like I’ve gotten to a place where in comfortable with taking photos and I feel like I really know what I’m doing, I kinda wanted to explore new mediums and see what else I could do. Ever since a little girl, I always wanted to be able to make clothes and I was determined to set a new goal for myself which was to get into the fashion core program at my school. In the springtime of 2021, I applied and a few months later, I was accepted into the program. Now I’m going into my second semester as a design student and I couldn’t be more proud of the journey it took for me to get here.
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 definitely has not been a smooth road. My creative journey really started to take form once Covid just began to affect everyone around the world, so navigating through these times as an artist hasn’t been the easiest. Because of all these restrictions, it’s hard to network like we used to and find opportunities to expand your clientele, and because there are so many people who aren’t in the financial position to spend lots of money on creative projects, it became hard to keep the level of consistency I wanted for my self and my brand. It can be easy to just give up and feel like you aren’t getting anywhere in terms of your career but I had to take myself out of that negative mindset and see all the positivity that came from periods of stagnancy, during those periods I was able to reflect and really understand what I want out of life and what goals I have for the future. I think everyone has the ability to design their future and create the life they want, it just requires more than a dream, you actually have to start putting those dreams into action in order to start seeing the results you want.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a confident, introspective artist who has finally stopped trying to fit my round self into a square peg hole. My work explores the black beauty we see everyday throughout the world. I utilize photography, videography, and fashion design to capture the vibrant identities and experiences that often go unnoticed. Since my main focus is fashion design, I am able to capture personalities and emotions through a lens while creating unique clothing that showcases the talent we have throughout our community. Society has spent years creating a narrative of the African American community, often displaying grief, poverty and violence. I want to change that narrative and show that we can wear, be, and do whatever we want.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
If something interests you find a way to do it even if you don’t know how, because if you say “I don’t know how to do that” then it won’t happen. It can be as simple to going to some of your favorite places to shop and seeing if they have any opportunities for internships or see if they need any help, then that leads you into another opportunity where you really start aligning with your goals and dreams. I also don’t try to force a mentorship to happen, if you feel like someone doesn’t align with your personality or maybe they just never respond to you after you reach out several times just leave it where it is and know that there a better opportunity waiting out there for you that is specifically tailor made for what you wanna do. Keep reaching out to other people and stay dedicated to your craft and the right mentor will come to you, even if that means you have to be a mentor to yourself.
Pricing:
- Photography – $250 or more depending on concept
- Videography – $450 or more depending on concept
- %15 discount for students
Contact Info:
- Email: maxine.wint0107@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/killmadmax
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq1F55GiDoWQk92VlgtxYVg/videos
