We were lucky to catch up with Tay Miles recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Tay thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
I was working at the Juiceland in Westlake at the time and at this point in my art career I was still just making art for myself for fun. It was on one particularly slow, rainy day that I decided to spruce up one of the refrigerators that had a bare side on it facing the customers. So I grabbed a bunch of receipt paper and began drawing little “fruit friends” to decorate. There was an orange, pineapple, jalapeño, and wheatgrass to start, all with little faces, hands, and a goofy pun. (ie “Wheatgracias” / “I’m Pine how are you” etc.) Soon after putting them up I got a call from management saying they loved my fruit friends and wanted to see them in color! And they would pay me to do it! I was elated, though I rarely worked with color, for the opportunity. They ended up putting prints of my work in almost every Juiceland location— there were cardboard cut outs of fruit friends, tshirts, and more. It was exciting to hear people say, “Oh you’re Tay! You made the fruit friends, didn’t you?” Though for awhile it overshadowed all of my art, which can be kind of dark, and I felt that I was *only* known for making the “cute” fruit friends. A double edged sword, if you will. Overall I feel very fortunate for the experience and the visibility. A fine way to earn my first dollars as a fledging artist.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hi I’m Tay Miles. Like most creatives, I started out drawing when I was young, doodling anywhere I could. It wasn’t until college that I started taking art classes seriously and creating my brand: taysmilez. I owe my start to a person named Michelle (seedsthenroots) who constantly invited me to do pop up shows to sell prints and original artwork. She motivated me to sell my work before I thought my art was worth selling.
For clients, I’m most proud of the illustrative style I incorporate into making logos, flyers, DND illustrations, and album art. My style can range from realistic to cartoon-y to abstract— I never quite know what im doing next which keeps the mystery and fun in each project.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
As an artist, the most rewarding aspect is definitely seeing people enjoy your art. I love seeing pictures of my art hanging in peoples homes, friends wearing my ghost hats and bags sporting my Ghost hair pins. It makes me feel appreciative that people support the things that I’m creating. It’s an honor to be on this side of the process.
Have you ever had to pivot?
A few years ago I decided to take the step to being a full-time illustrator. I thought I was ready. I had big projects lined up that I couldn’t have imagined, a manager— everything seemed to be going great. Then, for reasons beyond me, I had a manic psychotic episode and was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. It uprooted all of my plans, my life, my jobs… I had to start completely over not once, but three times within two years. Even still I am struggling to get my footing back to the place where I was before. The bright side, though, is that I’m alive and I can use those experiences to better enrich my creative endeavors. I feel as though my art has more meaning behind it these days compared to the blasé way I used to create.
Contact Info:
- Website: Heytaym.com
- Instagram: Taysmilez