We had the good fortune of connecting with Jarleel “JD” Earby and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jarleel “JD”, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I see taking risks as sacrificing something that could potentially put you in a greater position than you were in initially. In my life and my career, taking risks has caused me to be brave and confident in myself. It’s also made me realize how important it is to pray and reflect daily. Doing so leads to me being able to make great decisions in my career and life.

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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.
Through my artwork, I tell stories that others can relate to. At art events, I explain these stories to others and the meanings behind my art pieces.

What sets me apart from others is that I create a connection with everyone I meet. I’ve learned to not only network for business purposes, but also for lifelong, genuine friendships too. Having actual relationships with people on a team will always result in great products and projects. Networking is as easy as saying hi to a stranger, complimenting their work, and exchanging contact information. After upping my networking skills, I’ve learned that remembering people’s birthdays, supporting them, and just checking up on them can go a long way!

I want the world to know that my brand is an ongoing representation of hard work and dedication. Through my work, the goal is to always inspire others to be bigger than their dreams and to do everything they can to achieve each goal they set.

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.
Whenever someone is visiting the Atlanta area, they must go to spots for fun entertainment and spots for good food! You can’t visit Atlanta without going to the World of Coke. As corny as it may sound, I feel it’s a necessity to know how Coca-Cola makes the world go around. Atlantic Station is one of my favorite hangout spots too, because there are a lot of nice places to shop and eat at. Plus, the atmosphere just makes you feel free. Lastly, I encourage all visitors to check out the Botanical Gardens because the experience helps you to disconnect from distracting things like social media.

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?
I’d most definitely like to recognize Art Crew. It’s an art group that is made for artists, by artists. Within the group, I’ve always had so much support and guidance from its members. Art Crew has helped me to realize how important it is to simply give back to others and to not be selfish. Of course when someone finds a gem, they don’t want others to get ahead of them by know the source of the gem. I changed my mindset and told myself that there’s enough for everyone! From this, I’ve learned to implement things like business promotion, guidance, etc. through my brand for people that I work with.

Website: EarbyStudios.com

Instagram: @jdthe_artist

Facebook: Earby Studios

Youtube: Earby Studios

Image Credits
Lauren Gray

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.