Check out Loud Pen’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Loud Pen.

Loud, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Yasss! Lol, my story is definitely pretty interesting. I am originally from Cincinnati and after graduating from high school, I attended Hampton University. After graduating with my degree in English, I moved to New York. I had no idea what I wanted to do after graduation so a friend of mine suggested that I start blogging as a way to get my writing out there. My first blog was called The Loudest Pen Ever and it was about 90s hip-hop and r&b as well as tidbits from my personal life. Then in 2010, I started my current site, de la Pen…All Pen Everything. de la Pen was originally created to be a fashion blog but over the years I have transitioned it into a multicultural lifestyle magazine.

Once I started de la Pen, I started covering New York Fashion Week. I attended Gulnara Karimova’s GULI show and after featuring the show on my blog, The Fund Forum of Arts & Culture Uzbekistan sponsored me to attend and cover Style.uz Art Week in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Central Asia). Upon returning to NYC, I met my business partner Cacha` and we co-founded our agency. We were originally The Network but we re-branded as 8515 (eighty-five fifteen) in late 2015. We’re a multicultural creative agency based in Dallas and Baltimore. We offer branding, marketing, public relations, styling, event planning, and more. We’ve worked with The Fund Forum of Arts & Culture Uzbekistan, Latin Fashion, and K Jones. Currently, we’re looking for new clients so that we can expand our portfolio and experience. We’re looking to work with restaurants, wine and beer brands, as well as hotels.

After a few years of living in NYC, I accepted a job offer for a social media manager position at a digital marketing agency in Houston. At the time, 8515 wasn’t generating enough consistent revenue to live off of so I was still working full time. However, I wasn’t in love with Houston but I wanted to stay in Texas. So, I moved to Dallas almost three years ago and I’ve been loving it ever since. I should also mention that right before I moved to Dallas, I started my production company, ISLP and published my first book, #MakeUrPenLoud: How to Be A Lifestyle Blogger. Right now, we’re working several new products as well as our online store. So ya girl is busy!!!

Over the years, I have gained so much experience in blogging, writing, editing, marketing, public relations, styling, event planning, and more. Being an entrepreneur has forced me to be a jill of trades but I love what I do. I still work full time but the goal is to be a full-time entrepreneur by the end of 2018, so wish me luck!

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
Hmmm…at my core I consider myself to be a writer. But since I’m also a Lifestyle Entrepreneur, I write in many different ways and formats. I write articles for my magazine, de la Pen…All Pen Everything as well as website copy, social media posts, press releases, newsletters, and more. I also recently started doing creative writing again and I forgot how much I missed it. As far as how I create, it’s pretty simple, I just pull out my phone or laptop and start writing when the inspiration hits me. I try not to think about it too much. And I will say that blogging forced me to learn how to write for an audience. I was an English major in college so I used to write a ton of papers so it was until I started blogging that I realized that the writing I did in school was irrelevant. Don’t get me wrong it was a great foundation but that type of formal writing is unreadable to the average person. Hence why I had to create my own style and hone it. The message I am seeking to deliver is to get people to think for themselves. I also focus on creating original content that’s more editorial because I want my content to stand the test of time. I hate copycat magazines and blogs with list posts and celeb gossip #SPAM.

On the other hand, I am also a Stylist and that’s a totally different type of art. Styling is definitely more visual so it’s all about the look. I’ve mostly done editorial styling as well as styling advertising and marketing campaigns. In essence, I’ve mostly worked with emerging brands and models. As far as how I create, I start with a mood board which is based on the concept or theme of the shoot. I like creating physical and digital moodboards. Once that’s done, I start researching designers to pull clothes and accessories for the shoot. Then I start pitching to brands and their PR reps. After I secure clothes & accessories, I create a production schedule, touch base with my team, and try not to pull all my hair out in the days leading up to the shoot. Styling can be super stressful because things can change at the last minute. Models don’t show up, photographers cancel, the weather is bad, clothes aren’t available, etc.

In fact, I got in touch with Voyage Dallas because they featured a photo from my most recent shoot. After my photographer canceled, I bought a camera and shot the photos myself. I also did the styling and makeup. So, I was super geeked that the team at Voyage Dallas thought enough my work to feature it. #humbled

As far as what I want people to take away from my styling work, that’s multiculturalism and diversity. I’ll be honest and say I prefer to work with multicultural models and brands. I believe they don’t get the attention they deserve in mainstream media so I want to highlight their work. One of my most recent shoots was AfriDally which featured multicultural models wearing pieces by African designers. AfriDally was about combining the African style with the culture of Dallas. It was one of my favorite shoots!

Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
Local, international, etc. The role of the artist has always been to speak the truth. That will never change no matter what is happening in the world. Local, national, and international events affect my art by giving me content or things to talk about. For example, the NFL decision that forces players to stand for the national anthem. I am vehemently against that decision and I spoke out about it on Facebook live. I cannot understand how in a democracy; a business can force its employees to be patriotic. NFL players are employees of the team they work for and I believe that they have a right to exercise freedom of speech.

Make no mistake, I am a proud American but I support the NFL protesters. What’s happening between the police and the Black community is a true hot mess and it’s been happening for years. The fact of the matter is more people of color are killed by the police than any other race. And the victims are always unarmed and yet they end up dead. So, in my opinion these players are using their platform to bring attention to this matter and it’s clearly worked because it made an entire professional sports league alter its rules. #thechangegonecome

I am huge sports fan but after this decision, I can no longer watch NFL football. I just can’t imagine being forced to stand for the national anthem when I arrive at work. Again, I am a proud American but as a Black woman I also see the hypocrisies of this country. We are land of the free and home of the brave but only if you’re white apparently. There are 2.5 million people in jail and the majority are Black and Latino men. And I’ve lost count of all the names #TimothyThomas #FreddieGray #TravyonMartin #SandraBland #PhilandoCastile. There are TOO MANY. All gone too soon at the hands of the police and in a bizarre case a regular citizen who was somehow not convicted of killing an unarmed 17-year-old. But I digress. I guess he was standing his ground *shrugs*

On a day to day basis, I’ve been focusing on my own creative endeavors but I definitely speak out on these issues on social media. So, after this interview, expect to see more content like this.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.8515agency.com www.theinkspotlp.com www.allpeneverything.com http://bit.ly/MakeUrPenLoud
• Phone: 5134784489
• Email: loudpen@theinkspotlp.com or loudpen8515@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loudpen/ https://www.instagram.com/islpdtx/ https://www.instagram.com/8515Agency/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoudPen https://www.facebook.com/ISLP-1818559875103125/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoudPen https://twitter.com/ISLPDTX https://twitter.com/8515agency

Image Credit:
Photo Credits:

Editorial Name: All Pen Everything

Photography/Creative Direction/Styling/MakeUp: LoudPen

Model: Milana Davis

Women’s clothes & jewelry: E. Leigh’s

Makeup: Deck of Scarlet & Civilized Cosmetics

Casting & Production: 8515

Publication: de la Pen…All Pen Everything

Publisher: ISLP

Photo Credits:

Editorial Name: All Pen Everything

Photography/Creative Direction/Styling/MakeUp: LoudPen

Model: Greg Peoples

Men’s clothes & accessories: Vintage

Casting & Production: 8515

Publication: de la Pen…All Pen Everything

Publisher: ISLP

Photo Credits:
Editorial Name: AfriDally
Photographer: Emmanuel Lopez
Creative Director, Stylist, Makeup Artist: LoudPen
Models: Danielle Mia Moore and Justin Collins
Casting & Production: 8515
Designer: BabaAfrik Outfits
Jewelry: Strut
Makeup: Civilized Cosmetics
Publication: de la Pen…All Pen Everything
Publisher: ISLP

Editorial Name: AfriDally
Photographer: Emmanuel Lopez
Creative Director, Stylist, Makeup Artist: LoudPen
Models: Greg Peoples and Justin Collins
Casting & Production: 8515
Designers: BabaAfrik Outfits
Publication: de la Pen…All Pen Everything
Publisher: ISLP

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