We recently connected with Zeek Taylor and have shared our conversation below.

Zeek, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

The big break that helped launch my career as a professional artist came unexpectedly. After finishing college, several years passed when I was not working as an artist. I found a profession in the arts to be a difficult way to make a living, and instead I chose to work as a haircutter. Eventually I did start painting again, and I displayed some of my artwork in the salon where I worked.
One of my clients noticed the paintings. At the time she was working for the Franklin Picture Company of Chicago as a sales representative covering the state of Arkansas. The company produced framed, signed, limited-edition prints of original art. My haircutting client presented my art to company headquarters and they chose to carry my paintings in their line. Prints of my art were in showrooms from coast to coast that carried the Franklin line. My art ended up in boutiques, furniture stores, and department stores including Dillard’s, and Neiman Marcus.
While my prints were in the Franklin line, I made several guest appearances in various showrooms including Dallas, Atlanta, and High Point, North Carolina. I also made guest appearances with my art in Dillard’s Department stores, and other outlets. Through Franklin, my art ended up in collections nationwide and in Europe and Japan. Working with the Franklin Picture Company gave me the exposure and the confidence to go full steam ahead with my art career.
Because my art was “discovered” hanging in a hair salon, I’ve advised artists to put their work out there anywhere they can. One never knows when just that one right person might see it. In my case, it was my haircutting client who worked for the Franklin Picture Company. It was a thrill to be “discovered.”

Zeek, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

A native of Arkansas, I am a visual artist and an author. After winning my first-grade art contest, I knew that I wanted to become an artist. After finishing public school, I studied art at Arkansas State University and the Memphis College of Art. After many years working as a professional artist, in 2012 I was the recipient of the Arkansas Governor’s Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement. My paintings have hung in the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion, and in 2018 I received the Idle Class Magazine Black Apple Legacy Award. My art has been displayed on five occasions in the Arkansas Arts Center, three times in the prestigious Delta Exhibition, and two times in the International Toys Designed by Artists Exhibition. I have earned several “Best of Show” awards and I have participated in several juried exhibitions.
I’m also a storyteller and author of three books: Chimps Having Fun, Out of the Delta,” and Out of the Delta II. In late 2022, I was approached by a national publishing company that combined my two Delta books into one volume, Out of the Delta, the Anthology. It was released nationwide in hardcover, soft-cover, a digital version, and in an audio edition.
I have performed twice on the National Public Radio show Tales from the South, and my stories were heard by more than 130 million listeners worldwide. A StoryCorps interview with me is on file in the Library of Congress, and a segment of the interview aired on NPR’s Morning Edition, I co-produce and co-host Homegrown Tales, a live storytelling show that is replayed online by Kfresh Productions. In 2013, I gave a TedX talk in Bentonville, AR, on the subject of “Becoming”. In 2020, the “Zeek Taylor Suite,” was dedicated at the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow.
While I consider myself primarily to be a visual artist, my gig as an author and storyteller got me out of my studio and in front of an audience. This has increased my public visibility and in turn, has drawn attention to my art.
I live in the resort town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, with my partner Dick Titus. We were the first male couple to be married in the South. My visibility as a person and an artist increased when our groundbreaking historic marriage was reported in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, and numerous publications worldwide. We are living a happy life.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Besides producing good work, I think the key to building a reputation as an artist is visibility. When I became serious about my art career, I entered art contests and juried shows. I wanted my work to be seen by gallery owners and collectors. I knew they were the folks who would attend the shows, take note of entries. and especially notice artists who won places in exhibitions. Fortunately, I was able to win several “Best of Show” awards. I also attended every art function and exhibition in my region that I could attend. I wanted to make connections and to be visible. I’ve advised other artists to “get out there” and not sit in the studio waiting for someone to knock on their door. “That ain’t happening.” Visibility is important. I’ve read many books about being a professional artist and I have followed many suggestions from the books. I long ago refused to buy into the negative description of artists as being “starving artists.” I realized that serious art buyers want to buy from successful artists. Presenting oneself as a professional is important, and that’s the persona I’ve strived to create.
When marketing on social media became available, I jumped right into that avenue of exposure. It takes a little work time each day, but because it is a free marketing tool, it is worth the time. Through social media, I’ve increased my market and visibility. And the plus side, I’ve made many new friends.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Like most people in the arts, I’ve experienced some lean times and received rejection. During one of those times, a period when I considered giving up my career, I read a magazine article in a Sunday newspaper magazine about achieving success. That short article changed my outlook on life and prodded me to continue pursuing my goal of becoming a professional working artist. The article was about rejection and how one gives themselves an automatic “no” by not trying. The article went on to say that a person will never receive a “Yes” if not prepared to get turned down at times. After reading that article, I took it to heart and overcame my fear of rejection. I started knocking on doors and entering competitions and juried exhibitions, and I began receiving the needed “Yeses.” Thank goodness for that little magazine that was tucked inside my Sunday paper.
Since reading that article, when I think, “I can’t do that,” I remind myself that I will not know if I don’t try. I’ve learned to give myself that needed “Yes.”

Contact Info:

• Website: zeektaylor.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeektaylor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zeek.taylor
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Br-Os8r2g&t=42s

Image Credits
Not applicable. I own the rights to the photos.