Meet Krystal Banner: Artist/Author/Entrepreneur

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

Hi Krystal, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thought process was really based around offering something that I felt did not exist – at least in an accessible, recognizable way. Honestly, I was never someone who had the goal of entrepreneurship. It happened because I discovered my passion. Representation is very important to me, so having
products that reflect relatable imagery and culture drove me to basically create a business around that while being able to express my creativity and passion for art. I started making greeting cards for friends since the ones in stores were either too sentimental or didn’t reflect the humor or imagery that I’m used to. I never thought I could create a business around that, but was encouraged by friends and family to sell them. I realized that other people were experiencing the same thing and the issue of representation extended beyond greeting cards. I noticed many products lacked diverse imagery or a true reflection of Black creativity & culture, which led me to creating different types of products that now resonate with people of all backgrounds. Overall, being able to express myself creatively is the main driver behind starting my own business. I always say I consider myself an artist/creator first and an entrepreneur second. Starting, maintaining and growing a business is not easy, but seeing how my work positively impacts others is worth it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Art has always been a part of my life in some way. I believe what sets me apart from others is my ability to use my art style in very non-traditional ways. One thing that struck me years ago as a fan of art and museums was the lack of representation. In addition to not seeing people who looked like me, there was also a lack of cultural representation. Subconsciously this can take a toll and make you feel invisible. My motivation for creating is of course expression, but also to make a statement. This led to me painting, then later the creation of my greeting cards, decks and more. I am proud of people connecting with my work and it affecting their life in a positive way. I’m also proud of being a part of the changes I wanted to see. I created what I wished existed. The road was not easy, but honestly one of the most difficult things was believing in my own abilities. For awhile I just created art for myself. I rarely showed my work since I never really desired to put myself out there. I am one of those sensitive artists who would rather be behind the scenes than to put my work out there potentially for judgement and ridicule, but that is something I had to overcome. I also had to adjust what I thought was possible. If you told me several years ago I would have my own business as a creative, I wouldn’t believe you. I was doing well as an engineer and didn’t really see how I could make a living with my art. Once I got out of my comfort zone and accepted the fact that art is my passion and anything is possible with hard work and true belief, I started to see changes.

There have been so many lessons learned along the way! A few major ones for me are develop and trust your intuition, take advice with a grain of salt since no one knows your journey better than you and stay true to who you are. Sometimes people don’t understand what you’re doing or why, but don’t let that deter you. When you’re creating your own lane you have to do a lot of the groundwork yourself, but it’s worth it. Trust your vision!

I want the world to know my brand is an extension of me. In my art and products you’ll see humor, spirituality, Black culture (pop culture) and creativity, which are all aspects of who I am and reflections of my experience. I am passionate about authenticity which is why it is important for me to emerge from my shell and allow people to see who is behind the brand – especially as a Black woman. It’s hard for me to put a title on what I do because I want to be seen as versatile. I am an artist, author, designer, entrepreneur, etc. I guess that leads into one of the latest lessons I’ve learned: Allow yourself to be everything you resonate with. There is no need to put yourself in a box. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ll dedicate my shoutout to my family. They have been my core support system throughout the many ups and downs as a creative/business owner. Without their support it would be difficult to have the confidence and willingness to go out into the world ready to achieve my goals. Whether it’s giving me a boost or consoling me when I’m down or pitching in to help me on the business side of things they’ve always been there and I can always count on them. So a huge shoutout to my mom, my father who is no longer here physically, but definitely spiritually and my two sisters.

Website: https://www.kaleidadope.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystal.banner

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystal-banner

Other: https://www.krystalbanner.com