My Kinda Thing (Aniqua Wilkerson)

My name is Aniqua Wilkerson and I am the artist/design behind the My Kinda Thing University and My Kinda Thing, a handmade company that specializes in creating one of a kind handmade dolls. The mission of My Kinda Thing is to promote pride and confidence in children of color, particularly girls and even more specifically Black/African American girls, in efforts to combat self hate.

As a crochet doll maker I want to share my perspective through creating designs that reflect the beauty of our Black girls. I choose their skin tones in every shade of brown I can find, and I crochet their hair to mimic the thick kinky textures often associated with African/Black hair. I chose bright and vibrant colors for my creations because I want to move away from the pastels and neutrals often used in crochet doll designing. It is important that I design dolls that reconnect me with my African roots.

Each doll is created with Love and Purpose. They are teaching tools, used to show, not just the crochet world but the wider world that beauty comes in every shade, from the lightest to the darkest shades of brown. They are created with combinations of simple crochet techniques used to convey a simple understanding. Beauty is diverse! There are immeasurable ways to be beautiful and I’d like to think that each design is a reminder of the many ways beauty is expressed!