Creatives in quarantine: Who they are and what they’re doing, Part II

BY SELINA McCALLUM

In the last edition, I featured three artists to share with you all how they are coping in their quarantine. While some artists have had nothing change for them, others are feeling the impact of Covid 19. In this edition, I feature two more artists living in Toronto to shine a light on their work and the things that they have been up to.

Dwayne Holness – Dukez

Success doesn’t just happen; it takes calculated steps. That is what Dwayne Holness, also known as Dukez, lives by. Holness has spent the last nine years as an innovative and passionate director, videographer, and graphic designer.

He is the founder and CEO of Corex Creative, a company that does photography, videography and graphics to help businesses and individuals’ market themselves.

He has traveled to places like Mexico, Jamaica, Los Angeles and many countries within Africa capturing breathtaking scenes.

As most of his work has been online before the quarantine took place, Holness says that not much has changed for him.

“A lot of the stuff I’ve been doing requires me to be at my computer so not much has been affected drastically yet,” said Holness. “I have a lot of video projects and a lot of editing to do so really it has given me a little bit more time to focus in on each thing.”

 Before the coronavirus, Holness was on tour with Lauryn Hill, in charge of her stage design, merchandise, photography and videography to help build her social media page.

“I’m currently working on a documentary of her tours, so that has been pretty exciting and what is keeping me going right now,” said Holness.

The CEO of Corex Creative has also been on tour with the well-known Jamaican singer, Chronixx and shot a recap video of his performances.

The digital creator says to obtain big opportunities, he has networked with people on higher levels in the industry, kept a good reputation and maintained a consistent work ethic.

Holness says that this is the perfect time to sharpen up on your skills.

“I’ve been watching tutorials and learning new skills that I can add to my set of skills,” said Holness. “Sometimes we don’t have time to focus on ourselves because we’re so run and gun.”

To see some of Holness’s incredible photos and videos, visit www.dukeydukez.com 

Nathalia Allen – A Million Minds

Nathalia Allen, a lover of the arts, went to school for graphic design and communications at Centennial College.

“I did gain my skills from fine arts, so I started out doing illustration, drawing, painting and all the basics that they would teach you,” said Allen.

However, as Allen grew older, she decided to grow a business in photography, calling her business A Million Minds. Her Instagram page is very pleasing to the eye, as she keeps a growing colour scheme and mixes in her photography with self-portraits and places she’s been to. Mainly capturing women, she does an incredible job highlighting their unique beauty and style.

When Allen was in school, she completed an internship at New York for a streetwear brand that is now closed called KarmaLoop. She networked with other businesses and took pictures for her first look book.

When she came back to Toronto, she found it hard to find work so she would ask her friends if she could style and pose them for photos.

It was a requirement for the students to have a blog in the program, so that is where she uploaded her work.

“I hate writing, it’s not my thing, but it gave us the opportunity to create an alias, and that’s when A Million Minds was born,” said Natalie.

One thing many artists struggle with, including myself, is the business side of art. As creators, we just want to be free in creating for ourselves and others, but our art cannot be free.

“I’m really great at maintaining relationships, but I just need to work on my confidence when it comes to the exchange and just getting things in writing,” said Allen.

She says that during her quarantine she has been open to exploring different forms of art again.

“I don’t know what it is, but you feel like you have to be good at one thing, but I’ve been taught so many things, why do I have to just stick to one?” said Allen. “Right now, I’m trying to step away from the thought that you have to be one thing. I feel like I’m a master of art. Period.”

Allen says it is good to have a balance of being productive and resting.

“Equally important is to just really tap into what is necessary for you right now. It’s situational for everyone. So, anyone who is feeling really anxious, I feel like they need to slow down and just allow themselves to be instead of feeling like you have to follow the herd,” said Allen.

The artist says that this can also be a good time to figure out what you want, plan it out and then execute.

To see some of Allen’s work, visit her Instagram page @amillionminds