Meet Keniece: Creative Director & Brand Manager

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

Hi Keniece, why did you pursue a creative career?
I pursued a creative career because I refused to take what was given to me. Everyone around me (all the adults) had 9-5’s, mediocre houses, and incomes and pretty much hated their lives and ended up taking it out on their children subtly. I refused for that to be me. I refused for someone to tell me when to work, how much I should make, and how exactly to do it. We spend 40+ hours a week working for someone else’s company who literally doesn’t care about me, my life or my community for what? When I can spend those same 40+ hours on myself and build something that will benefit not only me but everyone around me. We have so much power within us, so many empires, to just give it away. I figured betting on myself was better than betting on the system. And I haven’t looked back ever since. When you are unhappy with the reality you see there is no better career than a creative one. Being able to have a vision or an idea in my head and then see it come to life in front of my eyes is honestly no better feeling. I am a creative because I want a hand in creating and curating the world around me versus being a mere bystander. I believe the ideals in my head, the visions downloaded to my by God, Spirit, whatever you subscribe to were meant to be expressed in the grandest way possible for the world to see and working for someone else was just not gonna cut it for me. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a Creative Director and Brand Manager and the biggest thing with my art is excellence, black excellence specifically. The way I approach my art is we are no different than Beyonce and Jay Z or Target or McDonald’s. I approach all my projects from a very over the top but professional standpoint. I always say if you will wear it in real life it does not belong in my shoots. My art is about taking the “common person” and showing them they aren’t as common as the world wants them to think we are. I make sure hair, makeup, styling, location, props, everything is on point and everything must match. I have a very pristine and neat look to my art. Most creative directors focus on coming up with the dopest ideas. I believe in coming up with the best ideas with the least amount of stress. A big part of my art is vibes. MY clients always have fun on set and know they can let their hair down when working with me. I want my clients to be able to escape the bullshit drama of everyday and totally immerse themselves into the art. I am most proud of working with celebrity Karen Civil and Nicole Ari Parker in LA for a magazine cover. That job was my most high profile and my most stressful. I got scammed out of money, got black balled, almost missed my flight, and so much more but it let me know I was made for this. I just kept on trucking and with that experience I learned one of the most important lessons. We walk by faith, not by sight. You hear about that all the time in church but until you apply it forreal forreal it has a whole new meaning. Getting to where I am today was not easy at all. I was homeless for 2 years, had falling outs with my family and friends, lost money, been robbed, been turned down, been overlooked. The road of a full time creative is not an easy one by far but it is the most rewarding. I overcome each challenge because I wake up everyday happy that I am not clocking in somewhere. 9/10 I would be dealing with the same amount of stress but would hate my life. I’ll take this stress because its for something I love, something I am passionate about. A couple lessons I learned along the way are for starters go with the flow. As a creative a lot of the opportunities you will get will come by being somewhere random, or just showing up or simply saying yes. Everything does not have to make sense. And the road to success is not a linear one. I have also learned to be stingy with my time and energy. As a creative you create your best when your cup is full and if you are pouring out too much your art will suffer. You don’t have to go everywhere, you don’t have to meet everybody. Be intentional about saving the best parts for yourself. I want the world to know that I am about changing this world. I am about excellence. I am about freedom. I am about love. And I am about progression and moving forward. My brand is not one thing, it is a multitude of facets working together for one goal: for black people to recognize our greatness collectively. There is no malice in my heart, no shade or pettiness. But the work has to get done and will get done and that is what my art and brand is about. Getting it done.

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.
I loveeeee Atlanta. So depending on the time of year depends on what we do but first off we would start with beauty. Atlanta has a bunch of black owned businesses I love to support. We would probably get our nails done at Soak n Polish and go walk around Atlantic Station or Little 5 Points. I love the artsy scene in Atlanta especially with all of the street art and grafitti. Another favorite thing of mine is the smoothie spots in Atlanta. Top freakin tier. We would either get a smoother from Arden’s or whatever local juicery I can find. Another of my favorite things about Atlanta are the lounge and hookah spots. What i like about them is you can vibe out, dance, damn near party, but it be casual and chill. And the food is always on point. Some of my favorite spots are Escobar, Medusa Lounge, Cafe Circa, and BQE. Those spots are always jumping. For the weekend we may hit up Oak for a little club situation or hit up a brunch spot or something like Magic City. Basically eating and louging is what I do in my spare time in Atlanta

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Easy answer. Will Banks. The Creative Extraordinaire. I had been fulltime for 2 years before we linked up and started creating timeless art. Not only does he serve as a counterpart to many of my projects, but he singlehandedly helped me see myself for the bad bitch I am. The support and encouragement I received from him did so much for my confidence and self esteem at a time when I really needed it. Having someone around me who could see me for the true genius I was and then have no problem cultivating that is rare. And since us coming together my artistry, mentality, and life has grown so much. This shoutout goes to him. You are seen. You are appreciated. You are loved.

Instagram: @kenieceee

Image Credits
@sdillonphoto @abbeybratcherphoto @mpagra20