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

Taylor, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

When I first came up with the idea, I was nervous because I knew absolutely nothing about cameras (visuals, sound, editing, etc.) or how to host a show in general, I somehow convinced myself that it wouldn’t be THAT difficult. Props to people who are videographers, because it was definitely not an easy feat. At the time, we were all locked down due to covid, so I had a good bit of time to prepare myself. I would watch youtube videos hours on end on how to operate different cameras/microphones, how to edit, the different shot types to record interviews, you name it! Eventually, I found a studio (shout out to RDK Studios in Decatur) and it was time to record. The funny thing about the 1st episode is that we literally had no one sitting behind the cameras, we just pressed record and did the interview. I do wish I had the opportunity to shadow some other content creators who have interview series’. That would’ve been fundamental in ensuring I was prepared for the initial recording, but there’s no time like the present and always room to improve. I’m thankful that I now have a team who helps me out! My friends Rhagan Williams and Bockarie Amara assist with recording/directing and it has been the biggest help in improving the platform. Each of us are simultaneously learning as we go along, but if you watch the 1st episode and compare where we are right now, you can see the quality improving consistently and I’m so proud of that. I do believe we have a long way to go, but it’s all a part of the journey.

Taylor, 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?

My name is Taylor Too Wavey and I am from Ellenwood, Georgia. I am the creator and host of an interview series titled “Dead or Alive.” The series features creatives of many mediums (ex. musicians, visual artists, poets, etc.) and gives a rare insight of their process and inspiration by having the guest reveal three people they would like to meet ‘Dead or Alive’! The series highlights how different mediums of the art go hand-in-hand and that there are many dialects within the language of art. We seek to empower people who’ve dedicated their lives to their dream in one way or another. Some guests are well-recognized, but not truly known and some guests are individuals who we feel NEED to be known. We also seek to connect creatives of all mediums by showcasing how we can inspire each other by doing what we all respectively do best. Dead or Alive has become a hub for discovery, creativity, and education. Each episode feels like a couple of friends reminiscing over their respective journeys.

I am proud of how much the show has grown so far. To watch something I created spawn from an idea into reality makes my heart happy. I know there is a long way to go, but to have this support from the creative community in Atlanta and beyond means so much to me.

I want people to know that Dead or Alive is for ALL mediums of creativity, not just musical artists as some people assume. I want to make sure I incorporate as many talents as possible on my platform. In the future, I plan to continue the interviews as well as other ventures that help promote it as a whole. Some things I plan within the next year is producing Dead or Alive events and live shows.

Dead or Alive is honestly inspired by my submergence in the creative scene of Atlanta. I was introduced to it in 2014, while attending Georgia State University. I’ve always loved music and knew I wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, so I looked into music management. In 2015, I met Sensei Bueno and joined the management team of artist Nai Br.XX. During that time, I not only learned so much about the music industry, but about the various creatives within the city. Every time I attended an event, I left feeling both in awe and inspired. I ended up graduating with a degree in Health Informatics, completely opposite from what I wanted to do, but the paths I crossed while at GSU felt more valuable than my degree. Once I graduated, I ended up getting a “big girl job” in IT, but I stayed up to date with the creative scene. I remember always thinking about how much talent is in the city, but much of it receives no recognition. When covid hit, I started watching youtube more than ever for various things… learning bass, watching podcasts, makeup videos, etc. Just things to pass the time while stuck indoors. Initially, I started thinking about vlogging my life in the creative scene and the various events I attended. Then one day I was talking to my friend about our favorite public figures, and asked her if there was one person she would meet, dead or alive, who would it be? Instantly a lightbulb went off in my head and I typed the idea in my notes app. From there, the wheels started turning. I started mapping it out and slowly everything came together as it is now.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

As it stands, I have no end game for what I want to do creatively. If you look in my notes app, there are 100s of ideas that I want to look into. The thing about creativity is that there are no real bounds to what you can do. It engages your mind, brings people together, challenges you, nurtures confidence, helps express feelings… I could really go on and on. I know that all sounds kind of corny, but it’s true.

Something that I hope I’m able to do is inspire others to pursue their creative ideas and passions. It is hard to take that initial leap of faith and commit to putting in the work when you don’t know what the outcome will be or what it’ll look like. I like to think that everything is a learning experience. Even if something doesn’t initially go your way or get the recognition you desire, you learned a lesson and you try again. As the saying goes, if it was easy, everyone would do it! People always ask me how I work a full time job, finished grad school, work with artists and have time to work on my show and my answer is pretty much the same every time… If you want something bad enough, you’ll make it happen. Dead or Alive isn’t the biggest interview series (yet) and it isn’t perfect, but I genuinely love doing it and working on it daily. I’m thankful that I’ve gotten it to where it is right now and I’m beyond excited to see where it goes.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

One book that instantly comes to mind for those who are aspiring creatives is one written by Jacques Taylor (@BigJocATL) titled “The Play Don’t Care Who Make It – Affirmations for Creatives & Stories From Those In The Field.” Joc was actually a guest on Dead or Alive, but I purchased this book before ever meeting him. It’s essentially a survival guide for up and coming creatives that gives you steps to help you believe in yourself as you go along your respective creative journey(s), with real life stories from creatives who are on their way to the top. Shout out to Joc and Creatives After Dark!

I’m also a big fan of self help books, especially those that inspire creativity. Most of these were recommended by my friend Bueno, he’s always up to date with book that encourage you to be your best self. Some of the self help books I’ve read in the past year are (in no particular order):
-The Artist’s Way (A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity) by Julia Cameron
-Start With Why by Simon Sinek
-Good to Great by Jim Collins
-Practical Law of Attraction by Victoria M. Gallagher
-Manifesto for a Moral Revolution by Jacqueline Novogratz

I would like to say that I will always love The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I know this is a cliche book that most people read in grade school, but I always find myself going back to this book and learning something new with each read.

I’m ALWAYS open to book recommendations, so if you have any for me please don’t hesitate to reach out :)

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @taylortoowavey / @deadoralive.xyz
• Twitter: @taylortoowavey
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorTooWavey
• Other: linktree – https://linktr.ee/taylortoowavey