We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tatiana McCrea a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tatiana thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

With any career shift, there is a leap of faith. Sometimes, the hardest thing you decide to do involves having full faith in yourself.

I’m currently the sole owner of Devil’s Milk (but of course I ask my husband for feedback and help). I’ve always held down a full time job along with running a company on the side, and this time I’m not. I am throwing my entire being into this company, and it’s actually harder than maintaining it on the side along with having a day job,

I might be weird saying that, but I enjoy working. My previous day jobs were a majority manager roles because I enjoy the challenge. Running a company full time is a challenge as well, but in a completely different way.

Tatiana, 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?

Hello! My name is Tatiana McCrea. I am a 28 year old woman who is currently living in Alabama with her husband, cat and turtle. I have been an artist for as long as I could remember, and have always wanted to do something with it professionally.

I went to college for animation (which didn’t end up working out due to finances), so I decided to get into making comics with my husband (who wrote the stories I illustrated). From there, we created a company called “BeetleMilk”- a clothing/comic company that focused on occult-themed items. Half of the store was pastel (my creations) and the other half was black and white (my husband’s).

We decided to retire the company to make two separate companies – one of which became Devil’s Milk!

My shop has gone full pastel and much more adult (think similar to Spencer’s). There you can find size inclusive clothing, stickers, accessories, and eventually expanding out to plushies, enamel pins, and trading cards. The brand features a cast of characters that you can find on most of the items that are for sale (similar to Sanrio).

I am extremely proud of my website. It took around six months to complete from start to finish. I designed the website by myself. I wanted anyone who came to the site to feel invested enough into it that they would want to stay and explore the site. I hope you enjoy it too!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think the biggest thing that has been the hardest to grasp is “people don’t necessarily care about your work or what you’re doing because there are millions of artists out there trying to do exactly what you’re doing”.

You need to stand apart from the crowd somehow. Don’t be afraid to be the only person making original art. Find your niche and carve it out.

Also, it’s going to take TIME. I’m an impatient person, and I expect to get out what I put in. That’s not how growing a brand works. It’s a lot like a baby. It’s going to take a lot more investment than you realize- monetarily, time-wise, and energy-wise.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Attend more local conventions, art shows, and galleries!

The beautiful thing about art is that it’s an experience. It’s meant to be that way. Unfortunately, the internet has done a great job of over-saturating everyone to quick, easily digested art.

That’s great when it comes to exposure, but I would compare it to seeing a movie in theaters (cinema) versus seeing a theatrical play. One you experience, you talk about it, and a lot of times it fades quickly. But a theatrical play? If you’ve been to one you know what I’m talking about. You can FEEL the energy in the room, from the actors and actresses. It’s beautiful.

Go see traditional or perforative art in person, you won’t regret it!     

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.devilsmilk.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devils.milk/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/BeetleMilkPublishing/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DevilsMilkShop
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@devils_milk

Image Credits
Tatiana McCrea