Daily Inspiration: Meet Whitley Simpson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Whitley Simpson.

Hi Whitley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Art has always been my favorite passion. I started creating art as a child, and I would always draw on anything I could find. I decided to pursue a professional career in 2012.

I attended Living Arts College in Wake Forest for a moment, and while I was there I majored in Photography. After I left college, I decided to teach myself graphic art which happened to be the best thing for my career. Since then, I have turned my passion into a full-time career. I have created album covers for musical artists such as Snoop Dogg.

I have connected with various celebrities such as Nate Robinson and a couple of my favorite bands such as The Boys and the 90s group Blaque. I have also created countless logos, book covers, clothing designs, and paintings. I recently partnered with Adobe Creative Cloud on the YoungThugXAdobe jacket print competition.

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 to success is never a smooth road. My biggest struggle was the loss of my grandfather and my Aunt Hazel.

It was a great struggle trying to pick myself up after losing two of my favorite people. There were times when I wanted to give up, I’ve had many doors shut in my face but through it all, I stood up and put my head back in my craft.

It feels good to be able to say, I didn’t let the bad outweigh me.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I create graphic designs, digital art, traditional art, sneaker designs and I’m currently teaching myself 3D Sculpting and animation.

I specialize in digital art. I also manage a model. I’m very proud of a number of things I accomplished in my career. I am most proud of being able to get in this position where I can be recognized by you guys. What sets me apart from others is simply being myself and remaining true to who I am.

I pride myself on remaining authentic.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I would say just keep putting your work out there no matter what!

Make sure your intentions are always good and remember your first impression is your last. As YOU navigate through your journey you will meet many different people with different views. It is very important that you find mentors and partners who align with your values and visions.

Contact Info:

• Email: hilarybankzart@gmail.com
• Website: www.hilarybankzart.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/hilarybankz_

Image Credits
Jessica Bratton, Mykia Wilson, Tiffany Clark, Negash83.com