Meet Cyd Ahlberg | Graphic Designer, Photographer, Visual Artist & Poet

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cyd Ahlberg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cyd, how does your business help the community?
Cydvolution Art is a brand and revolutionary art movement. The mission is to collaborate with artists of all walks of life and all mediums to help build their brands, promote their brands and incite creative, visual revolutions. In a world where many marginalized people are not being heard, I aim to be the one to help amplify their voices through creative mediums. So, far I’ve worked with some amazing individuals, helping them create brands and visual content for their music, political campaigns, products and more. It starts with me, but it ends with a beautiful community of creatives shining bright for the world to hear and see.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

Cydvolution Art starts with community. My design approach is to be as inclusive and transparent as possible to ensure that every client receives the best work for their established goal. My connections with my clients and the quality and uniqueness of my work are what set me apart from the average designer in this industry. I am most proud of the diversity of my clientele and the impact of the work that we produce together.

My journey has been far from easy. It all started with finding my own voice and telling my own story. As a young, Black, androgynous, woman in a massively white, male dominated industry, I had to create my own lane and learn to navigate in my differences. I overcome the challenges of visibility, being heard and imposter syndrome nearly every day as I continue to grow and expand in my career. Along the way I’ve learned that the most valuable support is often a complete stranger. Those are the clients you connect with on a deeper level, and they later become recurring partners. I’ve also learned that empathetic listening is a skill that will carry you a long way when bringing the visions of others to life. They are trusting you to turn their passions into visual stories. It is always an honor to work with other passionate individuals, no matter how big or small their platforms may be.

When the world hears about my brand and my story, I want them to know that it all comes from a place of love and authenticity. It’s more than just a career, but it’s a lifestyle of community building, creative expression and revolutionary story telling. I want to ensure that my voice, along with the voices of many others, rings throughout history.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

There is so much to do in Atlanta and so many different communities you can experience in the city and the surrounding areas. A week wouldn’t be enough to explore all there is, but if I had to come up with an itinerary with some of my favorite or interesting things to do, here’s what we’d do:

Day 1 – Monday
Breakfast: The Flying Biscuit
Lunch: J.R. Cricket’s
Dinner: Cafe Intermezzo
Explore Museums: Trap Museum of Music w/ escape room, Atlanta Selfie Museum

Day 2 – Tuesday
Breakfast: Caribou Coffee
Lunch: Savage Pizza
Dinner: The Vortex
Explore: Little Five Points (Junkman’s Daughter, Wish ATL, Criminal Records, Rag-O-Rama, The Clothing Warehouse)

Day 3 – Wednesday
Breakfast: Revolution Doughnuts
Lunch: Hops Chicken
Dinner: Krog Street Market (Fox Bro’s BBQ)
Explore: Krog Street Tunnel, Ponce City Market & Beltline

Day 4 – Thursday
Breakfast: West Egg
Lunch: Slutty Vegan
Dinner: Fogo de Chao
Explore: All the MLK stuff

Day 5 – Friday
Breakfast: Atlanta Breakfast Club
Lunch: Delia’s Sausage Stand
Dinner: Lips
Explore: Lips Drag Show

Day 6 – Saturday
Breakfast: Einstein Bros. Bagels
Lunch: SweetHut
Dinner: Negril ATL
Explore: Atlantic Station, Concert at CenterStage

Day 7 – Sunday
Breakfast: Waffle House
Lunch: Zesto
Dinner: Tom, Dick & Hank
Explore: Impact DCD, Cascade

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, I come from an extremely supportive family that is always interested in my work and always encouraging me to move forward even when I want to give up, so shoutout to them. Extra special shoutout to my brother Josh and my big cousin, who was more like a sister, LaToya, for constantly being there for me and motivating me to stick with the arts. LaToya was my biggest fan and biggest motivation and is sorely missed. Also, shoutout to my church family for always covering me in prayer.

Finding your tribe, especially in a pandemic, is a difficult task. I have a quite a few individuals who I know I can call on when I need them; some I’ve met in person and others I’ve connected with online during these chaotic times. I could name so many people, but my best friends from SCAD (Taneisha, Jade, Jasmine, Josh, & Joy, my big sister Lana, my little sister Trinity, my little sister Taylor, my best friends Kenny and Janae, my sisters Roderica and Kayla, and my sister Bria all held me down through the past few months. It’s dope to be connected to so many creatives who can pour into you just as much as you pour into them, so definitely shoutout to them.

Website: www.cydvolutionart.com

Instagram: @cydvolution

Image Credits
Cydvolution