Today we’d like to introduce you to Layla Mansouri.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve lived a majority of my life in uncertainty and have always felt the need to question everything that has come before me. I grew up in the dessert bowl of Las Vegas where there’s not much to do as a kid except kick dirt and talk about how you’re eventually going to leave one day. There are, however, the constant looming odds of you starting a family and working on the strip that become more likely with each passing year. I’d like to think that how I dealt with uncertainty growing up was through my imagination and creativity. Drawing wasn’t just a distraction for me, but a way for me to create the things I wanted, or even the things I wanted to change. If there had been crying and yelling within the house, my thinking would be to draw laughter and smiles on the figures on the page as a promise that, maybe tomorrow, life would mirror the drawing. Eventually, I came up with the conclusion that Art made people smile, and if I couldn’t fix the problem then I can at least make someone smile. It was the feeling I got from their reaction that I was in search of; the look in their eye and the way the sides of their mouths would curve up because of something I created with my own two hands.
However, I was under the impression that pursuing art was foolish unless you wanted to be a starving artist who could barely get by. I personally also didn’t know anyone who was able to successfully follow that career path. As time passed, I had become unmotivated and felt like I had no control over where my life was heading. I definitely wasn’t planning to go to college or pursue anything outside a typical 9 to 5 ball-and-chain. I eventually left that dust bowl behind and ironically landed in the City of Angels, which seems to be a beacon for Artists and Creatives alike. This was an opportunity for me to change the direction of my life and where I was heading, which simultaneously terrified and excited me. However, if I learned anything while being in Vegas, it’s to never let them see you sweat. I felt inadequate in every single class and situation I was thrown in. Who would’ve thought that changing states would feel like changing planets and that you would spend a majority of your time observing and mirroring those around you to get by. In doing this, I struggled to figure out who I was at the end of each day because I had been so busy trying to survive a school system that says who you are on paper is the most important, even if it doesn’t truly reflect who you are.
However, teachers around me began to notice and encouraged me to seek out the art department and their classes. My math teacher, who assured me that he enjoyed my drawings, didn’t appreciate them over his assignments and tests. He even walked me over and introduced me to the art instructor himself and said “I’m pretty sure this young lady belongs in your class instead of mine.” I spent my last two years of high school in Art, photography and Design. I was not only learning at my high school but also attending evening classes at another school. It felt like color was being brought back into my life and there was finally something that I did not feel inadequate in. Eventually, that mentality began to pour into other areas of my life and the uncertainty I once felt began to slowly fade. I was finding myself and my role in this world through Art and Design. Once I began studying Design in college, there was no doubt in my mind that this was always meant for me. Art and Design turned into a lifestyle for me and all I needed was guidance to help me fine tune myself. My ability in creating and being able to visually communicate with the world has given me such a new perspective and has helped me mature into the person I am today. It has taught me how to connect with people and understand them at a deeper level. I feel as though the reason I feel so connected to art and design is because it is constantly evolving and changing, just like me.
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?
I personally don’t believe that the road to success is a smooth road. Everybody deals with hiccups or bumps in the road. The biggest hurdle, in my opinion, for everyone to get over is themselves and their own self-doubt. I feel like a lot of creators deal with “imposter syndrome,” which is something that I have had a history of dealing with. I continue to struggle with this internalized fear to this day. I constantly have to identify if these intrusive feelings are legitimate or just a product of my anxiety and self-doubt causing me to feel this way. Feeling like a fraud or having the persistent fear that my talent will turn out to be a hoax are just lingering parts of this mental battle. I find myself negatively comparing myself to others around me, but I have had to realize that everyone is on their own individual journey and the road to accomplishment looks different for everyone. I have found it difficult to accept praise and usually attribute my success to luck, even though I am confident in the knowledge that I always put a lot of effort in my work.
I’ll sometimes be under the impression that everyone else has their shit together, but in reality, nobody is perfect and everyone is tackling their own inner demons. I’ve accepted that my biggest bully is myself because I think of all of the amazing missed opportunities that I could have pursued if I didn’t hold myself back. Now that I’ve gotten older, I have had more experience with people in the industry and have matured as a designer and as a person. I am able to not allow myself and the doubts that I have interfere with the avenues that I am trying to pursue. Mentoring other designers and encouraging their talent is something that I am very passionate about. Taking on this “mentor” identity has helped me to battle my own inner turmoil since I now see myself and my own abilities in these other designers. I feel so grateful that I have been down the same road and have had help from my own mentors. All of the road bumps and issues were worth it in the long run to help me become someone I am very proud to be. I feel that in the world of design, the most important thing at the end of the day is the connections you make along the way and a constant evolving perspective on life.
Please tell us about Black Canvas Co.
Black Canvas Co. was a company name that I started for myself when I was graduating high school. The backstory for the name stems from my feelings of uncertainty when I was graduating high school regarding what I would pursue as a career. I was working on a gift for my dad and when I was purchasing supplies, I had discovered that black canvases were a thing. It was while working on this gift that I realized art and design were what I really wanted to pursue. I found it fitting to name my brand Black Canvas. The company is still in the beginning stages of what I hope it can one day become. I am currently a freelance designer and artist. My work varies from creating branding to Snapchat lenses to painting murals. For the most part, I will take on anything that interests me. I also never shy away from a challenge. My goal is to build Black Canvas to become a design house and to bring in other designers and creators. I hope it can be a company that will give back to the community, as well being a place of mentorship and a “foot in the door” for young artists to enter the industry.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a very energetic, curious, and peculiar kid. I spent a majority of my time outside and I loved being in nature. People watching was a particularly favorite hobby of mine. Some of my dearest memories were gardening with my grandfather and drawing with him at the kitchen table. I was well known for my constant “what-ifs” and the odd desire to collect absolutely everything. These collections ranged from snow globes to pennies. I had an extensive accumulation of used gum and stamps. I don’t know if my mom was more frustrated about the gum or having to explain to me that stamps cost money. It’s a nice memory to laugh at now. Everyone always told my mom that I would end up on “Saturday Night Live” someday as I constantly made others laugh and brightened up any room I was in. As I got older, my personality began to get watered down through life experiences and growing up. A driving force for me is the hope that I can go back to the fearless child that I once was. As a kid, I thought that everything was possible and that there were no limitations on what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://blackcanvascompany.com
- Phone: 661-383-6763
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laylitax/
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