We recently connected with Taylor Victoria and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Taylor , thanks for joining us today. Are you happy a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Being a full time artist means having a life filled with joy, creativity, passion, and fulfillment. I often think of how my life would be different if I were working a “regular” job. When I was just starting out my pursuit to “make it” as a full time artist, I had a plethora of sleepless nights and tumbling waves of doubt. My financial situation became increasingly more stressful as there was more money going out than coming in. I danced with temptation to find another job or give up on this crazy desire to make art my full time career. However, I am tremendously grateful that I persisted. I believe anything that is worthwhile takes hard work, time, consistency, and commitment. My first few years consisted of swapping out free time and social events with reading books to educate myself on pertinent topics, networking, seeking out business mentors, and continually showing up to perfect my craft. I feel humbly grateful to have made it over the hump so to speak, and be in a place now of continual clients, projects and with a growing demand.

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 a full time local artist specializing in custom canvas and mural artwork. I made the move from Illinois to Phoenix for school about ten years ago. My intention was to become a kindergarten teacher. Sophomore year of college produced a sticky time for me in my personal life. Art has always been a consistent practice for whenever I’ve needed to work through something internally, feel connected to myself, or find a moment of enjoyment. I began leaning on my sketchpad as a means of comfort. What started as a personal practice for healing, later transformed into the start of my entrepreneurial journey. My following summer was occupied with having my unique drawings printed onto clothing and yoga wear, creating prints of my artwork, and learning the art of henna tattooing. I spent the last two years of college selling my art prints, gear, and henna tattoos at yoga and art festivals around Arizona.

Once I graduated college, I moved to California to do an apprenticeship for permanent tattooing. My education on new art forms, cultural design, and the connections I made in that time eventually led me on the path of creating wall murals for clients.

My style has expanded and evolved over time. My scope of work varies depending on the client and what it is they are looking for. One week you may find me bringing a family or pet portrait to life on canvas, the next I might be painting a fun desert scene in the backyard of an Airbnb, and the following I could be 25 feet up in the air operating a boom lift whilst painting a large mural on the side of a commercial building. I pay a lot of attention to detail and am typically drawn towards bright, feel-good colors. My desire is for my work to produce a positive and uplifting experience for the viewer.

Something I pride myself in are the videos I put together for each piece I create. If you are giving a painting to someone as a gift, you will also receive a compilation video of the creation process. This adds to the gift-giving experience and usually produces happy tears for the individual receiving the painting (husbands, take note!). If it is a company or business that I am creating a mural for, I produce a fun and engaging video afterwards that then can be shared on social media and used for marketing purposes. I also share the content on my page which is added marketing for the client.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being an artist feels rewarding on so many levels. Most simply put, I get to make others happy. Each project takes a great deal of time and energy to execute from start to finish. To put that much of oneself into something, and then see the smile wash across your client’s face upon completion.. Lets just say that that moment is winner winner chicken dinner, my friend!

In addition to what I am able to provide for others, there is a great deal of reward that comes from the inner dance I experience with myself. Each project provides its own set of unique challenges. Often, I will have a plan on how I wish to execute a mural all to find out that that method will not work for some reason or another. Occasionally, the surface of a wall, the lack of availability of paint due to shortages, or unexpected weather conditions can also throw an unpredictable wrench into the process. Working for myself means I do not have a higher up to lean on. There is no road map or trainer’s manual for this profession.. So when it comes to problem solving, I must become my own answer. Every time I find a solution to a perceived obstacle, I gain more confidence, respect, and trust for myself. There is a unique type of growth and inner strengthening that occurs with every complication conquered. I am grateful to be creating art whilst simultaneously having the art shape and mold me.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal with my art journey is to uplift and inspire others. I have experienced first hand the transcendent power art holds. There is growing research on the positive impact color and art viewing has on the brain and a person’s mood. When I paint a mural within a commercial building, I think about the employees who will pass by it daily, and I hope that it adds an extra pep to their step and motivation to their day. Whilst making a jumbo masterpiece on the side of a business building, I envision a frantic mother driving her kids to and from practices only to pause and smile as she passes an encouragingly bright mural. For the artist who wonders if they have a shot at making their dream of being an artist a reality, I hope my example of tackling my commissions and creating at the scale I do inspires them to also follow their passion. My ultimate goal is to bring out the best in a space, company, home, environment, or community by creating meaningful expressions of art where smiles are shared.

Contact Info:

• Website: TaylorVictoriaArt.com
• Instagram: @Taylor.Victoria.Art
• Facebook: facebook.com/art.taylor.victoria
• Youtube: Taylor Victoria Art

Image Credits
Jessica Elaine Photo, Ryan Bengford Photography