We recently connected with Tatyana Watkins and have shared our conversation below.

Tatyana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Success requires relentless faith in a higher purpose, a “why”, to motivate us to propel in the midst of adversity. The truth is that it never truly gets easier. Rather, we get stronger and our tolerance for challenges increases.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am Tatyana Watkins, a visual artist and my work includes original oil paintings, ceramics, mural work, graphic design, writing, and illustration. Driven by world travels with significant time spent in South Korea, Costa Rica, and much of North America, I believe that the culture of a world can be found in its arts.

As a visual artist and entrepreneur, I strive to innovate by challenging outdated concepts and simultaneously maintaining value and commemoration for all of history and relative culture.
Arts districts, galleries, murals, and places where cultural values can be publicly illustrated serve as my canvas as I believe that evolutionary depictions in public areas are essential for the advancement and cultivation of communities of all walks of life. I am dedicated to doing work of this caliber internationally. I explore themes including ancient history, theology and spirituality, metaphysics, quantum theory, Einstein’s relativity, pop-culture, and contemporary life displayed in figurative expressions. I drive passionate influences from the works of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Albert Joseph Moore, and Ernie Barnes among others.

I am currently working to build my portfolio with themes exploring a contemporary association with ancestors presented in modern settings, self-realization, time as relative measure, pop culture and religion, and Afro-futurism (subjects of the African diaspora with futuristic hues and nostalgic references). These themes presented in a series of national exhibits are intended to provide first-hand perspectives on contemporary commonalities to evoke dialogue and movement among relative audiences and commentators (Millennials, Gen-X, BIPOC, and Working-class citizens) regarding shared experiences, wonders, and perspectives. My exhibit series offers a lens into the isolated and underrepresented experiences of BIPOC and voices of the youth for audiences with unassociated vantage points.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Unbeknownst to most, I’ve been homeless in America’s most notorious cities in pursuit of a passion to declare myself as an influential artist. I was twenty-one years young and engaged to marry my best friend when I realized that something was missing. I had a life many would dream of at my age, but I was not fulfilled internally. I was not ready to commit to such a life, so young, before embarking on my own youthful exploration of the world and allowing myself to experience my twenties like my partner and most of my friends had. I made a decision that would turn my entire life as I knew it upside down, little did I know. I broke things off with my fiancé, left our apartment, put my belongings in storage and set off for the world all alone. Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York stripped me of my innocence. They showed me how gritty the world could be. They also showed me what my purpose was amidst it all. I planted myself in the slums and I befriended the underdogs of these communities. I was protected. Every city I visited seemed to cherish my gifts, my words, and treated me like an angel, despite not always having a roof over my head. They taught me to prioritize the work. The “why”. These travels and connections gave my talents meaning.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Since freshman year in college, I knew the importance of networking. In fact, it was the primary, if not the only, reason I attended a university. As an introvert, it was the urge to network that drew me out of my shell. I had a knack for sifting out who I needed to know, who needed to know me, and how I could leverage my connections. I carried this ambition everywhere I went, both in person and on social media. As a result, I’ve been able to build an impressive audience of supporters and mentors who truly care to see me succeed.

I would advise anyone to operate in a similar, intentional manner.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/tatyanasstudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tatyana-watkins-47aab9200