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

Stella, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us a story about a time you failed?

I recently got into printmaking. Intaglio. Within the last year or so, I’ve never experienced failure like I do with copper plate etching. But, that’s also a weird part of the fun with printmaking.

You see, printmaking is a very fine detailed, arduous, and disciplined process. It takes quite a while to get one proof of a print to see your results. And even then, it’s the reverse of what you see on the plate – which of itself is quite remarkable.

There was this one particular print I wanted to turn out a very specific way. I think I worked an entire day on it. From sketching out the idea on paper, prepping the plate, transferring it onto the ground copper, etching, all the way to inking the engraving. It took hours.

When it was time to ink the plate and run it through the press, needless to say I was exhausted. So I run it through the press, turn over the paper to see the proof and…utter disappointment. The ink wasn’t right. It didn’t press firmly in some places. Just absolutely devastating. I was planning to use the print as one of the first I wanted to run a limited series and put them up for sale. Needless to say it I spent a whole day working on something that turned out to be utter crap.

The funny thing? I couldn’t wait to get into the studio the next day to test out a different etching technique. I’ve failed at a lot of prints. I only have a select few that are decent enough to put out into the world. But I love the process, even if it turns out like complete shit.

Stella, 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 main focus is writing and directing. That’s my bread and butter. It’s where I get the most passion, joy, and discipline from. I’d say I’m a photographer and videographer second. Artist, third. I grew up always coloring, drawing, painting, creating. It’s never left me. So I’ve decided to give the Art Life a shot. Why not?

I left my hometown, population: less than 1000, at 18, and went to school to study media, communications, all that. I found my way to videography and directing and fell in love with the craft. So I pursued it. I’ve made a decent career out of it for around 10 years now. Still love it. Everyday.

About three years ago, I found my way into narrative writing and directing with my debut, “A LITTLE DARK.” Where I found such a deep and heightened sense of work. It was my first taste at narrative and drama. With videography, there’s a story to cut, sure. But narrative is something entirely different. I found the process to be nothing short of magic. To date, it’s the highlight of my career. With more on the way, soon.

I’ve recently discovered the form of the polaroid. I’ve been experimenting for over a year now and have found a way to insert it into my overall craft. Recently, I did a few wedding videos and found that the polaroids were a different way into photography. I had a photography shoot a few weeks back and it was all polaroids. It’s something that I think stands out as an art form. Completely from the rest. With digital you can edit it any way you’d like – which is great for business. But polaroids are a one shot. A moment captured in a singular moment. And people have really responded to that when they’re given one, or a wedding book full of them. They can hold it, touch it, look at it, and take it with them wherever they go.

Currently, I work as a freelancer in all these things. I have the day job, it’s wonderful and it’s great with benefits. The American Dream, for some…but I’ve set my sights on doing more of this type of creation in my art life. I take a personal approach to everything. No singular human is the same, so neither are their stories. That’s my job, doing what I do. Taking polaroids, writing scripts, directing actors in narrative, printmaking in the downtime, and cutting together weddings, events, and personal stories. There’s really no one way to do things anymore, not like it used to be – and I’m not sure I’d want to.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

On the surface? Meeting new people. All kinds. All sorts. Different places, spaces, and faces. I love meeting people. The kindness of strangers is something I cherish a lot.

As an artist? The process. Which is where most people fall short, in my opinion. The results will be the end product, when you decide something is done. I could cut a wedding video, a narrative, or a personal story any number of ways. It’s deciding when it’s done that is most rewarding to me. You get to throw yourself into a process that is unlike anything in school textbooks. That’s freedom. That’s where magic happens, and most of the time you have no clue what the end product is going to look like.

I’ve been lucky enough to be able to do this almost all of the time and fill my days with it. I’m fortunate. But I trusted the process of it. I think I’ve been rewarded back in that way.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

That mystery of the result aspect I talked about being a creative? I think most people don’t like the complete unknown. I don’t blame them, it’s terrifying. But the thing about creativity is that, at least to me, it’s all the time. I’m constantly doing the work either with my hands or my head.

I’d say that being an artist or a creative is a different kind of work compared to the mainstream viewpoint of things. It’s constant work. It’s not the 9-5 hustle and bustle and then you get to clock off at the end of the day. There are no weekends. There are no national holidays. It’s every day. That’s the job, and I couldn’t want anything more in life than to fill my time with that. I’m not saying in anyway that type of work is bad. My upbringing was surrounded by that familiarity, stability, grounding life. Which inevitably made me look at the world a little differently – and ultimately I ended up choosing the creative and artistic life.

It’s not my job to convince people to look at the world, people, stories, the creative craft in the same way as I do. I wouldn’t want that. But I know what I want for myself. That’s what I hope people take away from my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alittledarkfilm.com
• Instagram: @stella.anne.taylor
• Youtube: @_Stella_Taylor
• Other: Etsy: TigerMountainStudio

Image Credits

BTS Directing Photos – Alley Rutzel / www.alleyrutzel.com

Orange Jacket photo – Nick Thompson / nicktfilms.com/