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

Hi Cydney, what inspires you?
My inspiration comes from many places and honestly, I find myself looking at it in different forms everyday. However, I am most inspired by the women around me. I was raised up by a group of strong women who knew how to speak up and follow their dreams, by ALL means necessary. I watched my grandmothers do it, my mom and her sisters and a host of aunts and cousins. Now for myself, speaking up was never easy, but I think that’s the beauty of being inspired, I have the opportunity to be encouraged to learn how to do things I’ve never done before and try it until I am comfortable with the idea. Being a woman – a Black woman – is such a gift where I consistently find reflections of myself in the women in my circle and from those who have gone ahead of me. It’s honestly a special thing because that’s how I have learned to show up for myself and others and that is ultimately how I show up with my art. For me, that’s the true inspiration because I know that I am helping lead the next generation in spite of my own fears. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As far as I can remember, I’ve loved art. I loved watching “Out of the Box” on PlayHouse Disney (throw back!), collecting and transferring leaf samples under paper with crayons in science during elementary school and even choosing to do a math project centered around fractals and how light is captured in the ninth grade. It is certain to say that art is all around me, around us, and I intentionally look for it everywhere. My business initially started out under the name “By Cydney Maria”, early last year I began the process to change the name to something more meaningful and honestly a bit more prominent. That is when Into Creation Studios was born. The name itself intentionally chosen after I heard a sermon on a few passages from the book of Genesis, the first book in the Bible. I am a Christian and my faith is what has gotten me this far, so when I came across the passage of creation and how God spoke life into creation, I knew that this was it. It was mine and it was a love offering for me to give. And so, there it was. This project is so special to me because my direction is much more clearer than it has been in the last three years of operating. I am much more vocal, I take challenges head on but I am also more tactical in the things that I accept. I had the opportunity to attend 21Ninety’s Summit 21 conference in the summer of 2019, and I heard a keynote speaker say, “if you continue to treat your business like a side hustle, so will the clients you attract”, and that is something that stuck with me. I believe in my talents and I believe that I am successful because I work at them weekly, but I also realized that I am stunting myself if I don’t outwardly display that same confidence. So, what sets me apart is that I create with intention and I create images and illustrations that you want to share. They make you feel good. They give you hope. The encourage you and most of all they help you to remember that step by step and day by day, it all isn’t so bad.

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.
So listen, I love local spots! I am an Atlanta native (straight out of the SWATS) and there are so many amazing places all over the city. If my best friend was visiting from out of town I’d first start with hitting BUZZ Coffee and Winehouse on Cascade Road. The owner, Tre is the kindest and their cold teas and lemonades are the best. Next up we’d see all of the public art. From the Westside to the Eastside, there is so much to take in and some many varieties that meets everyone’s needs. Atlanta is such an amazing city because it’s not just one thing. We are art, music and culture all wrapped up into one! Now, when it comes to good eats, I need you to know that I am a foodie. I was raised watching my grandma cook Sunday dinner every week and I watched my parents celebrate their love for each other by cooking in the kitchen as well. So when it comes to food, I’m looking for flavor. One of my favorite places to grab a bite is Local Green. Y’all, it’s honestly so good and good for you! Another favorite of mine is Mango’s near Georgia State, Bar Taco, Blossom Tree and when I’m in the mood, Honey Bubble for bubble tea. My list can go on for days when we’re talking about food!

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?
Oh my goodness, so many people but I have to say that my time studying at Georgia State University shaped me! The National Council of Negro Women, Georgia State University section taught me the value of true sisterhood and the GSU Chapter of Her Campus molded me into the leader I am today. Those two organizations specifically churned and pushed me through tough decisions but I always ended up with even better outcomes, even when it didn’t seem like hope would be my sunshine. It was never an easy task to manage full credit hours and 20 or so young women, but I loved it and wanted to do it. However, my true resilience comes from every woman who has ever leaned into me and in college, I had several. There were some rough moments in my early twenties, but pain is a company keeper and when someone sees themselves in you, you have to let them in to receive that help and my mentors did just that. Now whether they know it or not, I am grateful for those check ins because I understand that those small moments are what life’s made of – the ones that God strategically places in front of us to get our attention to remind us that “hey, you can still do this.”

Website: www.intocreationstudios.com
Instagram: @byceemaria/@intocreationstudios
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/cydney-rhines-2253b7b1/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IntoCreationStudios

Image Credits
All photos and Illustrations by Into Creation Studios, Ltd. Co.

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