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

Alright, Djuane’ thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

As a teenager in high school, I took art classes with a program called Sketch Basin. They introduced me to one of their friends, who owned an Art shop in the French Quarter of New Orleans and was looking for a new employee. I really clicked with the owner of the shop and we would talk about art and making art a lot. She taught me how to use her favorite medium and make 3-D food dishes from clay. I showed her some of my artwork, and she offered to sell some of it in her shop, and she explained that I would be able to keep all of the profit. The first time one of my paintings sold, she called me up and told to me how much the buyer loved the piece. I remember feeling very accomplished and appreciated for all the hard work and energy I had poured into that piece.

Djuane’, 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?

Hi! My name is Djuane’ & I am a young artist from New Orleans. Being immersed in such diverse culture my entire life, has hugely influenced my artistic and creative abilities. I work with all mediums to create beautiful one of a kind artworks that display, a huge time commitment, precision & talent. I love taking the ideas I get from clients and bringing them to life. The key to success is creating multiple different sketches so the client can choose which elements they like the most. Then we will combine these elements, discuss colors, and create the final thumbnail. What sets me apart from other creators is, how serious I take the predatory process. A piece is not complete until all ideas are discussed and thoroughly thought through so that we can both create the best possible solution. I am a single artist who prefers the intimacy of working alone. This is how I create to the best of my ability.

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

“Realistic art is the most appealing.” In my earlier days of being an artist, I strongly believed that Art was not beautiful, unless it looked real. It wasn’t until college that I learned how untrue this is. I used to experience extreme burnout in my early days because I would strive to achieve perfection with my art. Once I unlearned this lesson and experimented with more abstraction, I found that my artistic abilities were boundless and even stronger when I didn’t care about it being realistic.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being creative to me, is having that freedom of self expression without judgment. When I don’t feel seen I can reveal myself through art. When I don’t feel heard, I can speak through my music. Creating different types of art has taught me how worthy my art is to be seen and heard. Creating releases any negative feelings I have within, so it’s become a sort of therapy for me. I can be myself & express the parts of me that I may be too shy to talk about. And that is the most rewarding part.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @naeebrazyy
• Linkedin: Djuane’ Taylor

Image Credits
All artwork presented was created by Djuane’ Taylor.