Interview: Sydney Hussett of BLK Customs

Sydney Hussett is the founder and 22-year-old artist behind BLK Customs – a local art shop in Toronto that aims to empower POC, one illustration at a time. Despite having always been artistic, Sydney pursued a Bachelor's of Science in Kinesiology and has always felt disconnected from her authentic self. That’s why she decided to create art again, not only to reconnect with herself but with the goal of having others resonate with it too. 

Growing up, Sydney remembers how rarely she saw black womxn being represented in art, and saw this space that needed to be filled. She then created BLK Customs to focus on producing stickers, art prints, and other stationary items that centre around black womxn and the black experience. Through BLK Customs, she aims to increase representation, visibility, and self-love among black individuals. She also uses this brand as a way for her to express herself through art by taking custom orders and illustrations. You can find out more about Sydney and BLK Customs by following @shopblkcustoms on Instagram!

First thing’s first: how has the pandemic been for you? Has it affected your way of work or art style in any way?

At the start of the pandemic, I was mostly focused on finishing my undergrad. Once I finished my final exam, I immediately started my current job where I had to commute to the office for the first three weeks for training. Once I started to work from home I felt trapped, and found it very hard to find meaning in anything I did. This is what drove me to start BLK Customs. I have always loved art and creating, but never found the time for it. Through starting this small business, I have truly found joy in the little things again. I am better able to adjust to this new normal, and stick to expressing myself through my art.

What is the mission behind BLK Customs? 

Growing up, I never saw black people as the focus of anything; not in books, T.V.  shows/cartoons, stickers, paintings, etc. I especially never saw any representation of black womxn. This led me to the belief that being white was the “norm” and the only standard of beauty. I created BLK Customs to combat this problem by centreing black womxn and the black experience through art and other popular stationery items. BLK Customs works to increase visibility while promoting self-love among black womxn.

How do you find the entrepreneurship and the art industry so far? What’s your favourite part about working for yourself? Are there any challenges to it too?

Entrepreneurship is the most challenging, yet most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. It has forced me to become more resourceful, it has enhanced my problem-solving skills, and has ultimately made me believe in myself more. I realize that since I began this journey in late June, my self-confidence in my work and myself has grown immensely. I have confidence in my ability to create art, and that is mainly due to all of the love I have been receiving from the amazing and supportive art community. This industry is very encouraging and helpful, especially my favourite artists: @shemeetscity and @dxpegirlsociety. My next big feat actually is to be more open and engaging with my followers.

My favourite part about working for myself is that the possibilities are endless. If I do the research and invest in my business, I can really expand my product line without any nay-sayers. I have already expanded from stickers to prints to bookmarks, and I improve my product every time by testing and researching once more. There are no limits when you work for yourself. However, the other edge to that sword is that you are in the end in charge of the final product. So if anything goes wrong, it is always all on you. It’s a hard pill to swallow but I always remind myself to learn, grow and evolve from my mistakes. Another challenge in mind is to keep myself motivated. There are times I have some trouble finishing a piece, and you will get those days, but you just have to keep going and hold yourself accountable in the way. Remind yourself why you started in the first place. It won’t be easy, but you are capable. An upside to this side of myself is that once I do get into the flow of a project, I am unstoppable.

Who are your biggest influences and why?

@SheMeetsCity - Sheena was the first Youtuber I watched who made me believe that I could start up my own sticker shop. She inspired me to stop making excuses, to stop waiting for the perfect time, and to just DO IT. And throughout my store journey, this  has helped me to keep going, and to find ways of creating new products by using what I already have. Sheena always gives solid advice and actively responds to her followers, which I admire greatly.

@Kligg.co - I think me and Kadeja’s art style are very similar in the sense of content, and incorporating motivational quotes in our pieces. She always has beautiful work. Her shop has a great mission too, and I am OBSESSED with her colour palette!

@Dxpegirlsociety - Aside from Desiree’s super dope art, she is one of my favourites because she KEEPS IT REAL for all of her followers. She shows us the highs and lows of being an entrepreneur, while dropping gems along the way. 

Bonus Question: What is your dream project?

A children’s book! Either written by myself or someone else. I think that a children’s book would be a super fun project to incorporate tons of colour, and could really help increase representation among children. This project would not only challenge my artistic talent, but also  will refine my skills, improve my workflow, and open so many doors for me.

I would also love to do a mural of some sorts. This would again be extremely challenging, especially as I am used to working with digital art, but I enjoy having to step up to the plate, and would like to see my work on a huge canvas one day.

Bonus Question: What is next for you and BLK Customs?

I will continue to put an immense amount of work into BLK Customs and will be transitioning to my own website shortly. I hope to build my portfolio and begin reaching out to other artists and brands for collaborations and opportunities. As I’m only getting started, the possibilities are endless and I’m super excited to see what’s next for me in this art journey.

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You can find more of Sydney on her website: etsy.com/shop/blkcustoms/, and Instagram @shopblkcustoms.