Meet Dom Sharpe | Graphic Designer, Artist and Developer

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

Hi Dom, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
During the protests over the pandemic, I noticed a lot of businesses suddenly became interested in protecting Black lives. Yet, once things settled down, so did their support. One of those was with a streamer who promised to uplift and promote Black voices on their home page. It was during Black history month only of course, but it was a tip-toe in the right direction. Until February rolled around and people realized they weren’t even featured prominently. And that platform promoted their Black creators, where so many more still weren’t. That’s when I decided to start Shade Black, my organization meant to promote, educate and provide resources for Black content creators.

I wanted to give support to content creators just starting out, or maybe they’ve been at it for a while and fell stagnant. And a lot of times when a Black creator “makes it big” they don’t throw a rope down to the rest of us who are trying to as well. I’m about community and fostering growth in my community, and so after years of working on it, I have launched my website.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’ve been working on Shade Black by myself for a couple of years, and I’m still currently a team of one. That’s been extremely challenging since I’ve had to learn how to do almost everything, from creating the website to making an application users can buy to create their own assets. Because I work by myself, progress is quite slow. I have a full-time job on top of this, so I have a lot on my plate. Sometimes finding the motivation is hard as well, since progress is so slow, it feels like I’m not doing enough. Having my strong support system is what pushes me to continue to work hard though and when I take a step back, I can see just how far along I’ve come. I’m building my first app by myself, and though I get frustrated that it’s taking so long, it’s also because I don’t have a lot of experience, so the progress I make is a lot considering. Soon the website will be full of free resources, tutorials, articles, and more!

Shade Black was created because I want to help people in the only way that I know how – through my art. I hope to one day, add more talented Black creators to Shade Black so their contributions can help others as well. Black voices will always be uplifted, featured, and celebrated at Shade Black.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a huge foodie, so when I go out it is always something food related. I always recommend the High Museum of Art. There are beautiful exhibits and they also host fun events. Then there’s the Rum Punch Brunch on Sunday. It has food, amazing music, and of course, drinks. A great way to party and let loose before the grind starts again on Monday. We’d go to the botanical gardens too. I used to go all the time as a kid and the gardens are so pretty. There are also tours for shows filmed in Atlanta like Stranger Things or The Walking Dead!

As far as food, there are too many amazing places to count, but the Ponce City Market has so much food to offer. I also love Sweet Hut, a Korean bakery and cafe, and Food Terminal which is Asian fusion and absolutely delicious. The Grandma Wonton Tossed Noodle is immaculate. There’s also this Indian restaurant that serves the best Chicken 65 called Shalimar Kabob House.

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, I would like to recognize 2 of my friends who are always encouraging me or providing feedback that I present to them. I can always count on them to give their honest opinion, as well as suggestions for improvement that helps the perfectionist in me put out the best work possible. My friend KJ is my go-to for my art. He’s a talented artist whose eye I trust immensely. My other friend who I call Roar, is one of the most passionately encouraging people I’ve ever met. She is always yelling at me with love and it keeps me going. I’d also like to thank my parents who may not understand exactly what it is I am doing, but still encourage me nonetheless. It makes it a lot easier to continue working on the things I am passionate about!

Website: https://www.shadeblck.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadeblck

Twitter: https://twitter.com/shadeblck

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShadeBlck