Liselle Benjamin is a graphic artist, designer, entrepreneur, creative thinker and most recently, a book illustrator.
Benjamin, 40, told WMN she always liked art and being creative, but she never thought about being a graphic artist.
In her mid-20s she took some business classes at the University of the West Indies and met a new friend. She had computer and programme knowledge, and made craft items to sell, so her friend knew she was creative.
Knowing Benjamin was looking for a job, the friend put her on to one at a sign company.
There, she got the opportunity to learn and practice on the CorelDraw graphics editor programme.
“At the time she did not have a focus or direction. I just wanted to do something I was good at, something I could improve at, and something I enjoyed. That job was the push in the right direction.”
Benjamin worked there for a few years but left and worked other jobs while doing graphics for flyers and tickets for her church and friends. She started getting more clients so, while it was still a part-time endeavour, in 2008 she started her own business, Le Bouquet Collection.
In 2015, she started a T-shirt line, AfroRutz Connection, using silhouettes of black women with different lengths and textures of natural hair.
[caption id="attachment_916670" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Liselle Benjamin says her business Off the Beet creates graphics from fashion to books. -[/caption]
She recalled learning that a local group which promoted love for natural hair was having a showcase of products and services for natural hair. She had recently cut her hair and was going natural, so she was excited and she wanted to be part of it.
“I considered, ‘How can I promote being a graphic artist but have a product that people could physically purchase and I could make some revenue off of it.’ And I decided to try some T-shirt designs.”
Benjamin attended the event and, based on the positive response, expanded the collection. She started attending artisan markets to sell the T-shirts, became friends with people who had small businesses, and started helping them.
“I started to focus on packaging to help small businesses get their start, to be seen, to be noticed. I was helping them while they were helping me so it was a win-win situation, helping each other grow. I was able to get more customers, I was able to help promote some of their products, and that’s how that started.”
Her focus is on graphics for small start-up businesses such as call cards, flyers, logos, and product labels.
[caption id="attachment_916673" align="alignnone" width="796"] Bake the Cocoa Cookie with Lola colouring book illustrated by graphic designer Liselle Benjamin. IMAGES COURTESY LISELLE BENJAMIN -[/caption]
She added that, because of covid19, there were less market events so she slowed the production of AfroRutz T-shirts. For now, the business is on-line based on ShopCaribe, Facebook and Instagram.
However, she has plan
