Meet Dominiqua Eldridge: Graphic Designer, Digital Artist

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

Hi Dominiqua, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I was tired of feeling under valued within a work place. So, thanks to covid-19, I decided to leap out on faith, and official start my graphic design / art business, uniik, full-time. Doing this time, I’ve learned how valuable my talents are. Even though the journey has been a little scary, I can honestly say, I am happier owning and operating my business.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve been a digital artist for about 4 years. My love for digital art did not start off as a fairy tale. To be honest, when I was a student at Towson University, majoring in Digital Art & Design, I hated working with Adobe Illustrator (which is the software I heavily use to create my art). I told myself that once I graduate, I would never work with the software again. Clearly I was wrong lol.

After graduating, it took a year of working as a graphic designer for me to find a level of comfort with using Adobe Illustrator – and from there I began creating art. Art is my passion.. and it has been since I was a child (even though at one point I just knew I was going to be a Power Ranger lol).

I will say, navigating the art world is not easy. You have to know the right people in order to get your work into some really nice places. You can’t just rely on your talent, you have to network your way through the industry. For someone fresh out of college, or just starting their art career, this can be very intimidating. However, I keep pushing my way thru lol.

My biggest accomplishment, to this date, is having my work featured in “Mickalene Thomas: A Moment’s Pleasure” at the The Baltimore Museum of Art (currently installed till mid 2021). Given the opportunity of being among very gifted and talented artists has motivated me to keep creating, to keep pushing forward. My biggest goal is to have my work featured in The National Portrait Gallery (fingers crossed).

Outside of my art, I am a graphic designer. I’ve had the opportunity to create and refresh brands for Eastern Market (managed by the District of Columbia Government), In the Public Eye Communications, Towson University’s Campus Rec, AAMBC Inc, and many start-up companies. My goal is to transition my business into a creative firm, where myself and other talented designers can help many businesses with their brand identity and collateral designs. Wish me luck and success!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Currently I live in Maryland, within a city very close to DC. If my best friend was visiting the area, I would take them to:

Food spots:

HalfSmoke – 651 Florida Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
The food is so good and the atmosphere is so fun and interactive. It’s a great place for brunch or dinner.

Oohh’s & Aahh’s – 1005 U Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
I love that this place is black owned… and the food is also really good. I personally love Southern cuisine… and this would be a nice late lunch or dinner spot.

Marvin (currently closed)
This was the perfect happy hour / dinner spot. Depending on the night, you could enjoy some delicious food while listening to live music performed by talented, local artists.

Jerk@Nite – 1100 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002
This food truck has the best Jamaican food in DC. Contrary to the name, Jerk@Nite is open during lunch and dinner.

Places to visit:

Henson Creek Park – Temple Hills, MD
This is one of my favorite places to walk when I want to reconnect with nature.

Smithsonian Museums
Thankfully, Washington, DC has some amazing museums. Trying to visit all of them would take a few days … but we have time lol.

National Harbor – Oxon Hill, MD
The National Harbor is filled with restaurants, hotels, and shopping stores. This location also has a huge ferris wheel that lights up the night. I personally wouldn’t get on the ride, but my best friend can lol.

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?
My biggest supporters are my parents. Thankfully, they’ve accepted my career choice with no hesitation lol. As a child, my mom would tell me that I can do anything I put my mind to … and from there, she and my dad have been my cheerleaders. Even though they do not know much about the art and graphic design world, they know my talent and passion … and they want to see me succeed as an entrepreneur.

I would also give credit to my mentor and my friends. I’ve learned so much from each of them – from learning how to think and make decisions as a business woman to learning how to remain mentally and emotionally healthy. I’m so appreciative of having such amazing supporters in my life. I’ve come to realize the value of having a solid tribe.

Website: artbyuniik.com

Instagram: @artbyuniik

Twitter: @uniikdom