We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Garry Taylor II. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Garry below.
Gee, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I have to some extent always wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path ever since I was a child. Growing up in a family business I was sat in front of the TV most days when my mom dropped me off at my grandparents house who ran an air conditioning business and would just watch Nickelodeon, The Disney channel and Cartoon Network. I would be drawing and trying to figure out how to make my character move and speak like those in front of me. But the first time I distinctly knew I wanted to do take a professional path for sure was during the pandemic. I was in the middle of a production that was not moving along the way I felt it should so I pushed and invested and kept the flame going amongst all aspects of a production. Being stuck in a apartment waiting for things to happen and also making things happen let me know that I am built for this. I am hungry for this.
Gee, 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 Garry but I create under the nom de plum Gee McTaylorson. McTaylorson and I am from Columbia,SC.
I got into filmmaking through a disappointing but evolutionary experience of going to school for animation. To make a very long story short, I was told one thing when visiting then found out half way through my studies that it was only video game design.
Though I finished the program and graduated I did not have the fundamentals of story telling through the medium so I decided to go back to school 3 years later to gain that through film classes. It was when I went back that I realized that I was supposed to be doing this instead of just that. Almost like I was fighting in the wrong weight class.
As far as the industry goes I have not been “in” it really. There have been freelance gigs attached to high profile talents and responsibilities but I have mostly been independent for creative and personal reasons. At this point in my life or at least the last three years I have been building a momentum to start a production company. There I can not only manifest my ideas when I want to the way I want to but also nurture others outside of myself as well outside of the industries creative restrictions.
Today, I would say that I am most proud of my dedication. I have not found massive success and or security through filmmaking but still I rise.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Beyond just having a spiritual need to create art my family. I am looking to build a foundation and legacy for my family that out lives me. I also want to be a flame of inspiration that lights one million candles. Being the grandson of Black business owners was and is a true privilege for someone like me. It showed me what is possible if hard work, dedication and patience is executed.
Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?
My view on NFTs at the moment is that I will be pursuing minting future projects as so. I am not sure how the future of NFTs will pan out and in all honesty I am not completely versed in the space of NFTs. But from the small amount of information I have struggled to comprehended I believe that with all things going to streaming and or just digital consumption NFTs can be an alternative route as far as cutting out a middle man and directly getting your art or content out to the people.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @geemctaylorson
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIjbz291TCoU0m3oBelBlyA
Image Credits
Self Portraits by Gee McTaylorson Dig Production BTS by Blaine Skrainka IG: @eyesblaiin