Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tayler A. Rich. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Tayler, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I think I have always been a creative at heart. Since I was a child I would draw, craft, sew, and write stories. I believe at one time in my childhood it was my dream to write novels, I would still love to see that come to fruition once my kids are out of the toddler stages. I have the heart of an entrepreneur, and I am hungry for it. Although, it was the loss of my three year old daughter in 2017 that lead me to writing. Which eventually lead me to pursue a creative path professionally. One year after Mila passed away, my rainbow baby was born. That life event sparked something in me, and I began blogging about child-loss and motherhood from a hubpages account. This was my livelihood for about two years before I purchased my first domain, www.therainbowandroseco.com

The pandemic sent me on a journey of healing and helping other bereaved mother’s like myself. I was in a new state, quarantined with my one year old. So by the end of 2020 my very first children’s book was published and hit shelves! Mama’s Rainbow by Tayler A. Rich.

Tayler, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Tayler (A. Rich) Sheikh. I was born and raised in Western, KY and moved to Middle TN in 2019 with my now-husband and my one year old son. I was the definition of a small town girl, who had married my high school sweetheart and had deep roots in the ground. It wasn’t until my first born daughter succumbed to bacterial meningitis a few months after her third birthday, that things changed for me. I began writing about my experiences. Child-loss is the single most devastating event a parent can experience, so I felt that being open about my loss could aid others in their healing. One lesson I learned very quickly is that no two people experience that kind of loss in the same way. So, after the birth of my rainbow baby [a baby born after the loss of a pregnancy, infant, or child] and a messy divorce, my son and I were on our own. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as I was back on my feet with a job and a home for us in no time. Still writing about my experiences as we went along. Meeting my now-husband, Irfan, and moving to Franklin, Tennessee was the jolt I need to kick start my career. I know that the pandemic was detrimental for so many people, but for me, it gave me the time to grieve and heal properly after a hard couple of years. I used that time in my new city to focus on my writing, grow my brand, create a journal prompt for bereaved mother’s and write my first children’s book.

I am so proud that I have a tangible memorial for my daughter out in the world. It both honors her memory, and gives my son an easy to comprehend book that normalizes the role of “rainbow baby”. And by that I mean, normalizes cemetery visits for birthdays and holidays, normalizes the term, normalizes talking about the sibling who died before the child was born, and normalizes the emotions that come with this kind of loss. The search for this kind of book for my son came up empty. I became compelled to fill the need for an inclusive book for Rainbow Babies and their mothers. Even if I had no idea what I was doing at first!

From the start my goal has been to be an ally to other mamas, who may not have the support system there after loss-or who may not know how to accept the help or comfort. This book was an extension of that.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My creative journey has been driven in part by my daughter’s memory. If you have lost a child, you may understand the aching that it is your job to keep their memory alive, and ensure they’re never forgotten. I have so much compassion for the community of bereaved mother’s that I became a part of with her passing. I feel like I have a responsibility to provide what comfort and insight I can from my experience. That’s not to say that I would not be doing something creative without this experience. I feel like I would be writing or making some kind of art regardless as it is so much a part of me to create.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Mama’s Rainbow officially hit shelves the end of 2020. I had no idea how challenging marketing a book during the pandemic would be. So many of the events I was looking forward to putting on became an idea I had to save for another day. Covid precautions and guidelines had me hitting a brick wall when it came to meeting my readers and scheduling. I was at the height of my sales when my book first released with limited ways to market and reach my fan base. At least in the way I had imagined. It took reframing my mindset, adjusting my expectations, and turning to social media to eventually pick up on sales again.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.therainbowandroseco.com
• Instagram: I’m on Instagram as taylerarich.author

Image Credits
Sarah Harrison , Oak & Honey Co.