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

Hi Chazriq, what matters most to you?
I think a value or principle that matters most to me is “Be yourself”. For majority of my life, I struggled to be “myself”… trying my best to “fit in” and “follow the crowd”. But, as I grew older… I realized that it doesn’t matter what others think, being myself is the only thing that matters.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Aside from my work from home 9-5 job with Capital One, I create art in various forms; from Graphic Design, to Theatre! I believe what sets me a part in the things I create is how out of the box and creative each project is. I believe the project that I am most proud of is my Graduation Photoshoot Series! It took me a long time to get where I am professionally when it comes to my creative skills; I started doing Graphic Design for fun about 4 years ago. But as I began to create more and more, my friends and family thought it would be great if I made a business out of it; hence C3 Designs was born. Since then, I’ve started Chevaughn’s Closet (a thrifting storefront via instagram), and Chazing Dreams Creative Direction Company. It was definitely not an easy road, from juggling academics and extracurriculars throughout college to working with people who didn’t exactly know what they wanted. But, along the way, two of the biggest lesson I’ve learned are 1. Trust the process and your art. & 2. With God, there’s nothing I can’t do! I want the world to know that I am Chazriq Chazam Clarke… and I am “Chazing My Dreams”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As a newcomer to the DMV area, I am still adjusting to everything, but some of the absolute go to places we’d have to check out are; Howard University, The Smithsonian Museums, White House, and African-American Museum. Now, when it comes to food, anything seafood or barbecue is what I’d check out.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First & foremost… SHOUTOUT TO GOD! I would not be where I am today without him guiding me along the way! I also have to shoutout my loving, yet crazy family; no matter what, my family has always been there for me, even when we didn’t necessarily see eye to eye. Their continuous love, support, and encouragement have always meant the world to me. Last but not least, shoutout to my Alma Mater, Florida A&M University, and all of my friends, peers, and professors that pushed me to always be the best that I could be!

Website: https://www.chazriqclarke.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ala.chazam/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chazriq-clarke/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLFlUN4bECvjGqRM6cKXiBw

Image Credits
Image credits via Instagram of @ala.chazam

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