We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Taniya “Tee” a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Taniya “Tee” , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve always known that I had a unique personality and was interested in many different things. I grew up in a big household where we’ve all played sports, but also had a liking for something related to the arts. Some of us were involved in music, dance, fashion and even modeling. Even though my childhood consisted of some form of creative space, those wishes and desires got overlooked and sports became the main focus for my family and I. Fast forward some time into my college years while attending Clark Atlanta university, sports were no longer an option for me. I went into college with an undecided major because I genuinely had no clue what I wanted to do in life. I wound up changing my major 3 different times just because I truly was lost. It wasn’t until my junior year in college when I revisited the idea of being a creative and found out that the film, television and entertainment industry was my dream.

Taniya “Tee” , 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?

Wassup everybody! My name is Taniya aka btswithTee and I am an overall creative. I don’t like to put myself into a box or a label because I am capable of many things. Some which include directing, producing, content creating, modeling and many other things. I have worked on multiple projects in the tv/film industry as well as the music industry and independent projects. I got into this industry because I always knew I had a liking for it but never knew the steps to take to making it my career. I am still learning and growing though, but I am excited to see where my career takes me.

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

Yes. I think there’s a lot of non-creatives who struggle to understand the journey. I don’t think they’ll understand the hustle and drive because we as creatives do and have done a lot of free work and a lot of energy and our own money is put into our craft. We have a lot of early days and late nights and sometimes the road to success may not look as clear to them because they cannot see the long term vision that we see. Us a creatives, we are passionate.. and I think those whom may not have a passion will never fully understand someone who does. We have a different kind of hustle. One that takes patience, perseverance and a lot of blood sweat and tears…. Literally!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the journey and the growth that I continue to endure, as well as seeing a project that I worked so hard on being complete. A lot of people never see what actually happens behind the scenes, but I do and I know my work ethic, so knowing the way I am able to utilize my skills and handle my business always makes me feel good.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @laaaaid & @niyscollection
• Youtube: Www.youtube.com/btswithtee
• Other: Tiktok: @laaaaid & @btswithtee