We were lucky to catch up with Tay Cromwell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tay , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

The most remarkable risk I’ve taken was moving from my hometown to NYC. I’m Brazilian, born and raised in Belem, a city in the Amazon portion of Brazil. Needless to say, Belém and New York couldn’t be more different if they tried. Not only due to cultural shock but leaving home was hard because I was away from everything I knew and loved. My favorite food, my favorite people, my favorite places, I was going to have to rediscover everything. And for a 17-year-old, that’s really hard.
I came to New York to go to college for acting, and being in a new place you know nothing about is hard, but being there to pursue an artistic career seems twice as hard. It might get to a point where it feels more like everyone around you is competition, and you have to be the best, and you can’t fail because people around you already think you’re not going to make it. After all, we all hear stories about someone who wants to be an artist and has to quit because of a lack of money or stability, so it becomes your job to prove people wrong.
With that new duty in my mind, I became more insecure and scared, and the self-doubt really got in the way of learning and progressing as an artist. I was alone in this big city, so I felt like there was no one I could relay what I was feeling to because everyone from back home had never experienced what I was going through. But as time goes by, you understand that even though moving far away from home can be a very lonely, scary, and dangerous experience, you’ll never get to know yourself as well if you don’t take these risks.
Knowing myself opened my mind to see different things, like understanding I also love filmmaking, deciding to pursue a second major, feeling more confident in my songwriting and voice, and all those things I was always too scared to welcome in my life. When you go through that process, you realize that other people might be going through the same self-sabotaging thoughts you are, so choosing to ignore that voice in your head becomes much easier because you understand that even the people you admire have those days.
Abandoning the comfort of my hometown was the best thing I could do for myself. Because I know now that when I take risks, I might realize that some of the things I was super scared of aren’t that scary.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a 21-year-old Brazilian woman and I am deeply passionate about all forms of art, but most importantly singing, acting, writing, and filmmaking. My love for the arts began in middle school. I was a shy kid and my best friend at the time forced me to join a theater class. She promised it would be a supportive environment where I could make friends without fear of judgment; it was. That experience ignited my passion for acting, and I became determined to pursue it as a career. My love for music blossomed in musical theater, but it wasn’t until I turned 16 and got a piano for my birthday that I discovered my desire to write my own songs (a little secret: by now, I have officially lost count of how many songs I’ve written).
When I moved to New York to study acting, my experience deepened as I participated in on-camera classes that mimicked a film set. There, I developed a fascination with filmmaking. Later on, my school introduced a new major called New Media, specifically designed for students with an acting background, which opened my eyes to the potential of creating my own work. I realized that if I could write and act, I could also produce my own projects. This led me to showcase my artistic journey on social media, where I share insights into my daily life, my upcoming debut EP, and my acting endeavors.
I believe in the importance of starting, even if my craft isn’t perfect yet, even if I’m not where I want to be, even if there are so many people who are doing it better than me. Putting yourself out there with no team, no fine equipment, and no experience can be really hard, but you should always go for making mistakes as you go rather than not even trying.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

In my opinion, many people underestimate the profound presence of artists and art in their everyday lives. Think of your favorite movie, song, or book, a graffiti wall you pass on your way home, or even a very catchy jingle you’ve heard—each of these experiences was crafted by artists. The first step in supporting the creative community is recognizing that behind every piece of art, there are real people, sometimes one, sometimes many, pouring their passion into their work.
Then, we must reflect on how art is appreciated and shared. Would your favorite films still resonate if they were made but never seen? Probably not. Instead of discouraging those who are just starting their artistic journeys, we should empower them by giving them a voice. This can be done in many ways: following them on social media, engaging with their posts, sharing their work, discussing their projects with friends, or purchasing their creations. Only by acknowledging and appreciating emerging artists and those who remain under the radar, we can create a more supportive creative ecosystem.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think what non-creatives may struggle to understand is that creativity isn’t always spontaneous or effortless – it often requires hard work and persistence. While there are moments when an idea just pops into my head and I can unfold that into a project, the reality is that much of the creative process involves dealing with challenges, failed attempts (way too many of those), and frustration before a project comes together.
Creativity in art is a disciplined practice, just like any other form of work – it’s still work. There are times when I feel unmotivated or I just don’t want to create, yet I know that pushing through those moments is necessary. It’s important to recognize that creativity can be both exhilarating and draining. I fiercely believe that everyone has the capacity for creativity in their own environments, but in the realm of art, creativity is about finding the drive to keep going even when it feels difficult.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/taycromwell
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@studios.pomegranate?si=o6YBkqJ-K869NS2G
• Other: https://tiktok.com/@taycromwell

Image Credits

The personal photo was taken by photographer Alle Peixoto