Janell Langford, Graphic Artist and Creator of Obsidiopolis
Name:
Janell Langford
Craft/Business:
Graphic Artist & Creator of Obsidiopolis
Hobbies:
Art! Thrift/vintage shopping, reading, movies
Hometown:
Birmingham, Alabama
Website:
Obsidiopolis.com
How did you get started working in your craft?
Ever since I was a little girl, I remember drawing being like a superpower. I grew up in a house filled with chaos, but if I was drawing, I was able to block out the noise and be at peace. After high school, I started dating someone seriously and forgot about my love of drawing. The relationship became just as toxic and chaotic as my childhood, and I had completely forgotten about my superpower. I had suppressed the one thing in life that was my home frequency. But once I ended the relationship, I started drawing again. The pain of the breakup lead me back to a rediscovery of my inner creativity. I never stopped being creative, and eventually, I enrolled in a graphic design program that gave me the tools to develop my aesthetic and voice.
What was your professional journey before working in this field?
Graduating from the graphic design program didn't lead to the kind of instant success I'd hoped for. I worked for a card company, and eventually landed a production design gig at a weekly newspaper publication. It definitely wasn’t a creative position, and to be real, the whole 9-to-5 thing made me kind of miserable, so I escaped into my art even more. I realized I was building the world I needed more of; what was lacking in my Seattle life. Though it can be beautiful, Seattle is grey and cold 9 months out of the year. My aesthetic was color-rich and basically the opposite of that. Also, the spaces I occupied in Seattle were very white and male. So, every day, I built upon this world in my work that was basically a backlash to that. I imagined a colorful city filled with black women, just being, living life day to day without having to deal with the bullshit. I started to focus in on illustrations and jewelry, and eventually, a femme-DIY boutique in Seattle started selling my stuff. That was extremely rewarding, but my day job was still soul-crushing.
When my partner and I moved to Santa Fe, I was inspired by the sun and the aesthetics. It opened up exploring different color schemes and styles for me, but New Mexico had even fewer black people than Seattle. So, I felt the need to build and build Obsidiopolis. I continued to sell my illustrations and jewelry online, in little art markets, and boutiques. It eventually caught Meow Wolf's eye, and we connected.
What do your days typically look like?
I start my day off with a run around my neighborhood. It helps me zone out and think of creative ideas. Then, I usually spend the rest of the day in my home studio with my dog, Penelope, occasionally taking a break to eat or meet with colleagues.
What makes your pieces special?
My pieces are special to me because they portray the world I want to see. I started to build a plot and characters into Obsidiopolis, and before I knew it, I had a story. I can’t say a lot other than it's semi-autobiographical with a lot of literal black girl magic and fantastical elements.
What is your future vision for your business?
I hope to expand into as many mediums as possible. I already have a mural up in Meow Wolf's House of Eternal Return, and I hope to continue in fashion and explore immersive installations, production design for musicians, comics, and animation. Eventually, I'd like Obsidiopolis to be a platform for supporting and uplifting other Black and POC femmes.
What is your favorite thing about your work?
I Google Obsidiopolis every now and then, and when you go to the image page, it's just an explosion of color. As a whole, it expresses exactly what I was trying to cultivate with color, and that fills me with joy.
What's the biggest challenge you face in your work?
How much of it there is now. I'm constantly creating, but there are so, so, many emails, and meetings, and social media things to tend to. I enjoy all of it, but it's challenging with my ADHD to find a healthy balance to achieve everything. I want to do so much, but I'm used to just focusing on one thing at a time. It's just hard to continually switch gears... I am learning though.
Who do you go to for professional advice, and what's the best advice they've given you?
Marita Dingus, an incredibly talented and established black artist in Seattle. She came over to my apartment once and noticed that my art wasn't displayed anywhere. She encouraged me to surround myself with my art, so I see and absorb it every day. Now my home is plastered with my own work, and it's so encouraging and productive, because it allows me to notice new ways to improve, and also serves to remind me why I do what I do every day.
What advice can you give to budding creatives and entrepreneurs in Santa Fe?
Just to be persistent. Don't let failure or rejection stop you -- those are necessary motivators. It took me a long time and a lot of tears to get noticed.
When and why did you decide to move to Santa Fe?
Ever since the first time we came here to visit my partner's family, I've been in love with Santa Fe. We moved here in 2017 because we were planning on moving away from Seattle anyway, and he got a job offer. He grew up in Santa Fe, and plus, it was sunny and dry and exactly what we were looking for at the time. It’s basically the opposite of Seattle.
What makes Santa Fe special to you?
I know it's cliche, but the sky. I can't even comprehend its beauty sometimes. Aesthetically, this town is a contender for one of the most gorgeous places in the world. The abundance of art and artists, and a wonderfully rich cultural history... And New Mexican food! The fact that I can get a green chile bacon breakfast burrito whenever I want is heavenly.
If you could change one thing about Santa Fe, what would it be?
I wish there were more black people and more black-owned restaurants and businesses! I understand it's a pretty diverse city, but I wish more black people would move here.
What are you passionate about outside of your craft?
Traveling, movies, vintage clothing, and thrifting. Finding a perfect pair of old jeans, or a dress from the 70s, or whatever, is just so exquisitely thrilling. I used to be a picker and manage a vintage store in Seattle, and it's just one of my favorite things in the world.
At the end of the day, why do you do what you do?
Because it's what I'm good at. It's where my heart is. It combines all of my passions, from being creative, to activism, to making my younger self proud by not ignoring her passion for play and optimism and color. We live in what some would argue are "dark times", but not everything has to be that way.