Today we’d like to introduce you to Tempest Sampson.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am originally from Rochester, New York. I left Rochester this year in February after my brother offers to let me stay with him here in Southern California. My journey to this point has been very interesting and my path has not been straight, but that whole journey contributes to everything that I am as an artist and a designer.
I have always loved art and design since I was a kid. In the second grade, one of my friends and I created our own “fashion line” and would draw clothing designs and dress up, styling ourselves. When I went to high school, I was in the international baccalaureate program and we had an elective class that we completed through our matriculation in the program, my elective was art.
However, when I graduated from high school, I decided to pursue a degree in math so I could become a teacher. Fate quickly rerouted me and by second semester I was back in graphic design courses. My first major act as a graphic designer was entering and winning a t-shirt design contest for my dormitory. Unfortunately, I was unable to recover from my first-semester academic detour, lost my scholarship and left Howard after three semesters. After taking a semester off and a year a Monroe Community College, I started at Rochester Institute of Technology as a sociology major (strangely falling in love with sociology at MCC and forsaking art once again). During my four years at RIT, I switched majors frequently, trying to balance between pursuing art and attempting to graduate as on time as possible. I finally landed on an individualized studies program that allowed me to combine my love for art and design and my passion for social sciences and visual culture.
Fast forward to now, I have a few classes left to finish remotely at RIT and I am freelancing as I adjust to the Southern California sun.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Of course! My first obstacle was not doing well at Howard University my first semester and trying to figure out how and why I was able to perform well in high school and not in college. Howard became the dream school that I never knew I wanted, and leaving was devastating for me and the adjustment from a historically black university to two predominantly white institutions was jarring. One of the major challenges that did not reveal itself until my third year at RIT was the fact that I have ADHD. Most often misunderstood as not being able to “pay attention” and being a “hyperactive kid” it presents a lot of challenges in adult life especially if it goes untreated. So once I was diagnosed it opened my eyes to a lot but also presented new challenges to conquer.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As a freelance designer, I go by “AFROSTORM” and I design mainly logos, flyers, snapchat filters, print documents, t-shirts — anything 2D really. I am most proud of my ability to be inspired by my personal life, my struggles/mistakes/failures and my friends (particular Black womxn). I think this sets me apart. Although there have been changes, there is still a huge deficit in the media for diverse images and visuals that deal with Black womxn and mental health issues in the Black community. Outside of my freelance work, I try to use art and design to bring light to these types of things. I believe this sets me apart from others. My academic experiences have an equal balance between design/art and social sciences and humanities; I allow this to inform my work and then things I create.
What are your plans for the future? What are you looking forward to or planning for — any big changes?
Within the next year, I hope to get into UX/UI design. But my long term plans include graduate school: eventually I would like to become a curator and exhibition designer. I want to push myself to really use my art/design (and the art/design of others) to reach others and inspire them to grow and follow their dreams and articulate their personhood. I feel like I worked really hard at doing this for myself and I see the value in inspiring others to do the same.
Eventually, I’d like to travel and live (6-12 months at a time) in other places like: Chicago, New Orleans, Tokyo, Ghana (haven’t chosen a city yet) and somewhere in the Caribbean (haven’t chosen a city/country yet).
Contact Info:
- Website: www.afrostorm.com
- Email: tempest@afrostorm.com
- Instagram: @afrostormdesigns
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