Nine out of every ten households buy greeting cards each year. Despite this statistic, ethnic minorities are underrepresented in the industry. One Wichita creative is hoping to change that.
Inside The Blackprint storefront, Paris Cunningham who goes by Paris Jane, runs her fingers across the cellophane packaging and opens up her five-pack of Christmas cards.
"So this is actually the first Christmas card I ever drew or created," Cunningham says.
She holds up a card with a Black ballerina on the front in a vibrant purple costume.
"It's a depiction of a Black sugar plum fairy from the play, 'The Nutcraker,'" Cunningham says. "She also has two Black nutcrackers behind her and what inspired this was ... I've seen so many depictions of 'The Nutcracker' ... and I'd never seen it look like me or look like people that I knew."
So, Paris made a concerted effort to incorporate diversity in her products.
"It kind of reminded me of a wonderful thing that African-American people have in their homes sometimes during Christmas ... like a Black Santa, and so it filled that void for Black women, and Black young girls, that we have [a] figure that looks like us too."
Another popular card Paris sells depicts a man sitting in front of a Christmas tree with several cigarettes in one hand one lit behind his ear and one in his mouth — it's a spoof of an image of Black actor Mekhi Phifer, who has a popular meme on social media.
"I turned that into a card that says 'Tis' The Season' at the top because we use that term quite often like 'tis' the season for joy,' but it's also the season for stress, and gifts and money spent and all the other things that come with getting family together."
"It's actually one of my favorite cards to draw. It was so funny, I sent it to my mom and she cracked up," Cunningham says with a chuckle.
Cunningham's mom is Kansas State Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau, who's supported her daughter's efforts over the years.
*Laugh* "She always says, 'Well Paris, I told you to make cards a long time ago.' So, she's really excited about me using my artistic ability to create something that not only captures the essence of our culture and other cultures that don't get that shine in different merchandise but also the fact that I get to use it to make my livelihood."
Making the decision to pursue her passion was something Cunningham had to find her way to.
"That's something I questioned for a long time because I'm a very practical person and I thought that taking on a very conventional career path would be a lot more lucrative for me and, in hindsight, it probably would have, but would it be as fun? No. Would I be able to innovate as much as I do? No. And I feel like I have so much room to grow being an artist and getting to create digital and physical works for people to take home and have a piece of."
Cunningham also makes cards to celebrate Mexican Christmas traditions, as well as artwork that features other cultures on holiday cards.
"A lot of Mexican people celebrate on Christmas Eve and on Christmas day and a lot of people don't know that [greeting cards are] a thing. And there are many ways that people from different cultures — cultures of color — celebrate major holidays, or holidays that we might not even see cards for or know exist. And so I [wanted] to make spaces for those bits and pieces of culture as well.
"Actually, one of the first Valentine's Day stock cards I created was of an Asian couple just because I wanted to try out and see what works/what sold; how many people could I represent and what ways could it be in; ways we're not used to seeing certain cultures showing love and affection or giving condolences."
Cunningham also is an official vendor for Hallmark greeting cards.
"I was working with them last year to craft a set of stickers. I plan to work with them again this coming year to make sure I have products to sell with them."
Other designs she's been doing since she started ParisJaneCreates in 2021 is custom greeting cards.
"A lot of times people will order online from me. What I do is take a picture or an idea and ... I create these cards that have you and whoever you want on that card just to share a moment in time that you shared with somebody to commemorate a wedding, an anniversary [or] Valentine's Day.
One of the most interesting pieces of feedback Paris says she's received is that her cards are being purchased by people of all different cultures.
"Even though my cards [mainly] feature ... African-American people and families, there are an array of people that purchase these cards. So, I think it's a beautiful thing to know there is a market for African-American faces in the gift-giving business."
