We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Taylor Powers. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Taylor below.

Taylor, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s talk about social media – do you manage your own or do you have someone or a company that handles it for you? Why did you make the choice you did?

So right now Im managing my Instagram and Tiktok accounts. I wouldn’t want someone else managing my account because I have a clear vision set in my head for the types of content I want my followers to see from me. It would be nice to have some help once in a while but I’ve learned a lot just on my own trying to manage my accounts and my art friends give me tips and tricks all the time so it’s really just a learning process every day with social media. The biggest lesson I’ve learned from curating my content on social media is to always try and connect with my audience by sharing something personal about myself. Most people are going to click on things they can relate to and what they’re interested in, so when I share a piece of myself with my followers it helps me out a lot in the long run for the algorithm to send my content to a bigger audience.

Taylor, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Taylor Powers and I am a 22-year-old artist based in Houston, Texas. As a young child, I remember begging my mother to draw for me. I would ask her to draw people; I loved watching her bring my characters to life. I remember being fascinated with her skill, and I was determined to develop my own and surpass her. For as long as I can remember, I was sketching, coloring, and doodling in my free time. When I was about 10 years old, my mom bought me my first painting kit, and I fell in love with it. In High School, I developed an interest in Photography and began taking photography classes as a Freshman and I’ve been a student of the craft ever since! My passion for painting and photography has brought me many incredible opportunities. In 2019, I submitted my Photography Portfolio to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. I was awarded the Gold Medal for my submission: Human Nature, as well as a scholarship! I traveled to New York City and met Tina Fey at Carnegie Hall where I received the award and spoke on a panel with other award winners! After High School, I attended Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. I didn’t complete my degree at SCAD because I felt isolated, obscure, suspended, stuck, distracted, and unmotivated. Ultimately I’ve realized that I didn’t need a degree to be a great artist. Everything I needed was already within me.

Since returning home, I’ve had the immense pleasure of meeting and working with many talented creatives who share the same passion for art and creativity that I do! Pursuing art as a career can be a daunting task. Our friends and family have a tendency to project their fears onto us and pressure us to follow traditional career paths – to do as they would in were they in our shoes. It’s crucial that we stay committed to our vision in spite of outside opinions so that we can stay true to ourselves and manifest our dreams. Surrounding myself with kindred spirits who share my aspirations has proven invaluable.

Each day, I embrace my authentic self, channeling inspiration into every creation. The journey I’m on today would surely make little Taylor proud!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

During my early days on this journey, I didn’t pay much mind to the business side of things. Honestly, I was overwhelmed and not really into it. But as time’s gone on and everything’s getting more expensive, I’m starting to see that money matters – not just for me as an artist, but because inflation’s a real thing. Having some extra cash in your pocket doesn’t hurt. And you know what’s key? Figuring out how to handle that dough if you want to make it as an artist.

I’ll admit, I used to be pretty careless with my money. Bills? They weren’t exactly high on my priority list, and guess what? That ended up biting me in the long run. Instead of spending more time on shoots, painting, and improving my skills, I was stuck at my day job, just trying to cover my Uber rides to work. It was like a never-ending loop that left me with no time to really dive into my craft. Let me tell you, I was seriously frustrated with myself for letting it get that far.

To sort things out, I had to have a serious sit-down with myself. Budgeting became my new best friend, helping me break free from that cycle. Dealing with the business side of art showed me something pretty important – my time and energy are seriously valuable. It’s totally okay to put a price on my work without feeling guilty! We live and we learn. I learned how to value myself, my time, and my art.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When I kicked off my art account journey, I was seriously anxious about sharing my stuff. When I did post, and my creations didn’t get the love I hoped for, it really got me down. I didn’t let it discourage me though. I kept posting whenever I got the chance – anytime I could showcase what I’d made!

Most social platforms are forgiving if you are consistent. Lately, though, I’ve had this lightbulb moment. It’s not just the artwork that gains attention when posting. Nope, folks actually wanna see behind the scenes process of the art. My account used to be all about the art, without a face or identity. But guess what? I flipped that script.

As I started opening up, showing my struggles as an artist and the everyday grind, my audience perked up. Heck, they were way more engaged when they got to see the real me – not just the glossy end results. I’m talking about the times I’ve had art block to times when I’m just chillin’. Turns out, when you let people peek behind the curtain, they connect way more. Sharing my journey makes others think, “Hey, I could take those big steps too.”

I’m beginning to realize that social media is just a window into watching others grow. You catch sight of someone making strides, and you’re there thinking, “Yeah, that’s exactly where I wanna be.” It nudges you and gives you that little push to do your own thing.

Being real on social media is where the magic happens. It’s not just about sharing art; it’s about sharing yourself. And sharing that peek into the journey of others inspires others to do the same. It pushes everyone to step up and own their own story.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hexgirlt/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@tpowow?lang=en

Image Credits
Trinity Jones