Journey Shamily has a big, silly, sweet smile on her face. Despite setbacks in her life, she smiles and giggles a lot, maintaining a sense of optimism and professionalism.
Her digital art shows her sense of “body positivity,” no matter the size, shape or shade of the women she creates. She wants every woman to feel empowered about their bodies and every girl to see someone who looks like her, “beautiful and unique.”
Shamily, 18, was chosen as Mint’s first marketing intern in November, selected for her experience in graphic design and her attitude and enthusiasm. In that role, she creates videos, social media posts, fundraising materials and will help establish Mint’s social media policy guide. And she is learning new skills, guided by her mentor, Mint board member and marketing lead Kelly O’Neill and others on Team Mint.
“It’s helping me take my career to the next step and be more professional,” Journey said.
Her favorite early assignment was serving as the Mint photographer and videographer at our Paint Detroit with Generosity opening at the Fisher Building. (Watch for a new post soon sharing one of the videos and a couple of photos from that wonderful opening. The show is up at the Fisher Building through Dec. 30.)
Journey Shamily, 18, attends WayMichigan, an online school and will graduate from high school next year. She has bounced around, living on her own, briefly in a homeless shelter with her mom, and now with her grandma, who has been very supportive of her creative projects.
After graduating, she intends to take a gap year to save money and add to her experience as a freelance designer and digital illustrator.
In 2020, Journey is planning a community service project, bringing Mint Artists Guild into Detroit area homeless shelters to work with children on creative art and gifts for their moms.
She has been part of Mint’s Learn & Earn program since September 2018. She has learned to connect with others and network around her art among other things.
Mint is “very inclusive, very friendly and safe,” for all artists, she says. She helps make it friendly, with her big smile and the “hello, hello, hello” greeting for all.
Fun fact: She loves Ted Talks – and sold her work with Mint Artists Guild at TedXDetroit 2019.
Future plans: Attend a university in New York or elsewhere to study graphic design or illustration.
See her work: Visit her website or stop by at Mint pop ups and the Mint tent at the Palmer Park Art Fair in June.
Support Mint Artists Guild with a monthly donation now, so we may hire more Journeys, more creative youth for internships and creative work in the year ahead.
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