Behind the Camera: Youtuber's Edition

Alice Wheeler @coffeecreamgirl 

This is the second installment of my Behind the Camera series on my blog where I zero in on someone to interview in the entertainment industry. Anyone who is behind a camera on either side of it is eligible to be interviewed as a person of influence. 

If you have any suggestions on who I should pick next, feel free to email me at blancosbranding@gmail.com or DM me on my Instagram @curlyblanco. 

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I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my personal Youtube favorites. I have been watching this girl since my freshman year of high school and I am now creeping upon my sophomore year of college. This woman is Alice Wheeler, or more commonly known as Coffee Cream Girl. She has made a name for herself in both the Youtube game and now in the world of graphic design. She initially started her Youtube while she was attending the illustrious, Langston University. This is where I was introduced to her with her college advice videos on topics such as HBCU lifestyle, scholarships, and makeup tutorials. 

Alice started off in school as a track athlete pursuing a college career in Biology. While she enjoyed what she was in pursuit of, something was still missing. Though she had been doing Youtube for an extended period time, she truly began to love it when she diversified her content. Youtube was her free space to be openly expressive, before the monetization of course. 

"Something about being behind the camera made me feel comfortable." She stated when referring to her experience with Youtube.

Alice was shortly after met with the struggles of running a "company".  This was known as the Youtube series she was apart of while in college titled, Living At Langston. With having to suddenly face copyright infringement charges from her school-based off using the logo, color, and other things linked back to the school, this really took the fun out of something that was intended to just highlight events and things going on at her university. It went from simple videos to more in-depth productions and merchandise. Following this, she began to find herself becoming somewhat detached from her college experience after her memories and dedication to the series that she loved were being altered beyond her control. Alice later left Langston University to focus more on herself and her mental health after things became hectic at school.

However, she did not let any of this stop her. Though unaware of where her journey would lead her next, she still had her own Youtube channel which at the time had three to four thousand subscribers. 

When asked about her favorite thing about being a Youtuber, she said that it was "good being recognized for just doing what you do." Many people don't always think about all the time that a Youtube channel truly takes. Not to mention the money you have to spend on equipment and software. You always want to advance yourself and in any industry, it can become competitive, but making yourself stand out on your own is what will be helpful.

"Dont base yourself too much on what other people achieved." Alice advises for anyone looking to become a Youtuber or enter into the field of graphic design. 

This is to say that as you watch other people's success in their prospective career, detach yourself from trying to replicate what they do. Create your OWN lane and don't let others box you into a category that you do not want to be in. Versatility is going to be your best friend when it comes to growing your brand-- whether it be an actual business or your personal brand.  She also emphasized being authentic with your content. 

The Birth of Coffee Shop GFX

Though things seemed to be going beautifully on the outside, internally there was a strong change taking place in Alice's life. After her issues with Living At Langston, she found herself becoming detached from her academics which later resulted in her leaving Langston. 

Following this, she eventually got a job at a hair salon which was to maintain the salon. One day, she noticed the owner was in need of a logo. Alice offered to help make the logo which was the start of her taking graphic design more seriously. She also gave credit to friend and "big brother", Paul Pugh, (@theepaulpugh) who is an experienced graphic designer for helping her more with her graphic design skills. 

Coffee Shop GFX, LLC. has been around for over a year now and has a collective social media following of close to 4,000. The company has become Alice's true pride & joy, and she is growing in clientele daily. Alice hopes to have her business continually grow and eventually go back to school to become certified in Adobe Software to make this her full-time career. 

Transitioning from a college influencer to a graphic designer can be challenging, especially when life throws you curves but just remember that it IS possible. Sometimes your true gift can be something you least expect. 

Her website is listed here.... https://www.coffeeshopgfx.com/
Her social media handles are here... Instagram: @coffeecreamgirl       Twitter: @CoffeeCreamGirl

Always a pleasure sharing with you, thank you.

Slowly but Surely: College Life Update

Audio Version Here**

Where do I even begin to explain my college experience thus far? This has literally been some of the most teaching and memorable last couple of months of my life. To the people that I've met thus far that have been so beneficial to my growth and amplifying my college experience in a positive way, I cannot thank you enough. Having good people around you will truly make or break your college experience and I've learned in some of the hardest ways.

I won't say everything that's happened in depth because not everything that's happened only involved me and I know some people may not want their business out there. I've broken down the different aspects of my life in college into categories which I hope will help you be able to better follow along and get a gist of what things have been like through my eyes.

So sit back, relax, and get this tea!

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HBCU Life was pretty much everything I expected it to be after doing my research. I made sure to know about housing, the food, staff, and even the party life. It definitely makes a difference when you network beforehand. However, there's nothing like truly experiencing it for yourself.

Academics
My grades honestly haven't been that bad. I feel like they could've been better in comparison to how I'm used to them being but we're not entirely off track. None of my classes were terribly hard which was good. However, every now & then I'd get an assignment from what seems like the devil himself! (Thank God for guidance and clarity, am I right?) All I can really do is just hope for the best because if I'm being honest, any class that doesn't involve writing is a struggle for me. Me and math ain't never got along & I don't even wanna look at another science-related formula in my life if I can help it. Much of the curriculum in my journalism classes was review for me because of my previous journalistic teachings which made the material easier. I just wasn't used to everything being so electronic. For some classes, it was good. For others, it honestly wasn't even necessary.

Party Life
Before you ask, yes they are lit. However, I didn't realize how repetitive parties could get, but I think it honestly was just the hype of it all for me. Same vibes, same music-- it just gets old after a

while. I just wanted to be out because I didn't have so many obligations or responsibilities. I will say that I had some of the best times I could have at these parties. As things slowed down and my workload got heavier, I didn't necessarily mind going out, but I definitely thought about it more before saying "yes" or "no". I also learned the importance of leaving with the same people you come with at a party after being left about a good three times or so.

Of course, I made it back safely or I wouldn't be typing this all out to you, but just communicate with those who you go out with. Also, make sure you have a good amount of money in your account just in case you have to buy the Lyft yourself :)
Drink responsibly and smoke responsibly if you decide to & make sure if it's new for you, you don't do too much because you don't know what your limits are just yet.


Relationships
I've encountered so many different types of people, went through lots of changes in my personal relationships and seen so many crazy things. The people that I started NSO (New Student Orientation) week with are still around, but not as heavily as before. I realized that it’s not always about who you start with, it’s about who you finish with.  I have more acquaintances than friends and it’s honestly kinda scary. It really wavered my trust for a little while until I realized that I’m literally with all strangers now. None of these people actually know me for real or at least not the way my family or close friends back home do. Everything is fresh and new. However, I also didn't realize how when you're in a whole new environment how much you grow & sometimes outgrow people because you all are no longer on the same path together. Saddening, but true. It's the people you least expect that you lose a connection with.

{Sidebar} Can I just say real quick how much I LOVE my HerCampus family? I joined over the summer and even though I wasn’t an active member at that point, just being in the group chat and feeling included really helped me feel valued. What they stand for as far as women’s empowerment and the art of the creative mind is really something I admire.

The Day to Day
As far as Hampton itself, I really do enjoy the school. Constantly being surrounded by young adults of color trying to push towards success is not only motivating but liberating as well. Along with having the majority of the people I see whether its a custodian or all the way up to our president, they're all people of color. It's not that we don't have other races around, but being the majority for once in my life in school has been so eye-opening for me. It helped me to be reminded that it's not always about fitting in with others, it's about creating your own thing because chances are there are others that aren't fitting in too. It’s also true what they say about being broke (even though half the time it don’t be really being broke, it just be acting broke to avoid spending money you don’t have to) My money goes almost as fast as my snacks do. I try my best to combat stress by seeking God daily and not spreading myself thin with my schedule.

Messiness
I'm not going to spend too much time on the negative experiences I've had while in college because I've learned from them and grown. However,  I would like to be realistic about the realities of college. What I've learned the hard way is that everyone is not your friend. You got people so insecure about themselves, they talk down on others. Then, you got people on the other hand with half they head filled with so much air they oughta be a hot air balloon. There are so many conversations that people have behind closed doors that never reach the people it should address & even though we're all still trying to figure things out-- what happened to the human decency? What do you actually gain from being around someone you don't like? The answer is simple and I'm sure you can already guess what it is :) All the extra is so unnecessary. That's why I plan on leaving all the mess in 2019.


Always a pleasure sharing with you, thank you.

Behind the Camera: Actor's Edition

Kiah Clingman @kiahtheactress                            

This is the first installment of my new monthly series on my blog where I will be zeroing in on someone to interview in the entertainment industry. Anyone who is behind a camera on either side is being interviewed who can be viewed as an influence. 

If you have any suggestions on who I should pick next, feel free to email me at sherdellbaker@icloud.com or DM me on my Instagram @curlyblanco. 

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I had the pleasure of interviewing the amazing Kiah Clingman. The Ohio native had her start with acting when she would work on different short films and videos with her friends from college. All of which were great starts to her now even more blossoming career. She also comes from a creative background because her father, James Clingman, is an author of various economic books and black empowerment books. Her resume includes working with production companies such as DamnWriteOriginals and the Cincinnati Black Theatre. As well as, co-starring in the hit series Black Lightning and the film Undercover Brother 2. She graduated from Howard University in 2015 with her degree in both Theater and History.

"Acting is the hardest but most rewarding job to do." She stated when referring to the will and resilience needed in an industry that is very critical, and sometimes even rejecting various things you may want to bring to the table or ideals you may have.

At one point, it was even hard for her to get bookings because of her natural hair. Sometimes your appearance, especially in the entertainment industry, can be a make or break deal for your next job offer. Kiah explained how she had to learn to be "okay with herself" and understand that it is not always personal in brands that have a certain look they're trying to uphold. Additionally, rooting for others when you don't get the part. It can be very discouraging, especially in an industry that is so competitive, when you don't get a role that you feel like was made for you.

Kiah pictured above with her castmates from the web series,
Outlandish. 

With God being the head of her life, not only does she go to Him in prayer for a lot of her decision making, but she also prides herself on having your intentions align with your overall perspective in life. One role in a major movie she turned down because the role included her going up to another male character and wearing minimal clothing-- as if to be one of his "women". Turning this down said a lot to me about her character and her as a woman because she didn't wanna be presented in a way that would "downplay" her.

When asked about what advice she would give to someone who is looking to break into the industry, she exclaimed about one's perception. One's perception of their circumstances is what can affect their decisions & how they carry themselves on a daily basis.

Behind the Camera, Kiah still struggles with family issues like the next person. Along with balancing all of the different hats that she wears daily. Nonetheless, she does it gracefully with the way she chooses to live her life. Releasing positive energy out onto others is one way she does this along with seeking counseling. Yes, as we all know it can be scary venting to someone that you don't know about topics that you may not feel comfortable talking about. However, speaking to someone that has no previous background about you helps them to be objective and unbiased to ways they can advise you to go about different circumstances. This is something that she suggested for those wanting to get into the industry for clarity.

What's coming next from Kiah? Some of the projects she's working on she couldn't disclose all of the information due to The project she just recently finished, Undercover Brother 2, will be on Netflix in November. Also, she's producing two different short films that should have release dates on the horizon.


"Know what you want, and what you want can't be temporary." - Kiah Clingman, 2019



If you're interested in contacting or working with Kiah, her social media handles on Instagram and Twitter are @kiahtheactress, as listed above.

Her website is listed here... https://www.kiahclingman.com/

Her LinkedIn is listed here... https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiahclingman



Always a pleasure sharing with you, thank you.