We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tiffani Taylor. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tiffani below.

Tiffani, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I have been a full-time artist for 25+ years and the advice I now consistently give to other creatives, when I lecture, and, when I mentor, is this: “An artist is an artist. It is OK to have multiple streams of revenue and to have a job for health insurance and/or retirement. Whether you work a part-time job and create during the rest of the week, or, go through periods in your life where you are a full-time creative, or work full-time and create when you have the energy, an artist is an artist.” I think there has been a myth that you have to be a full-time artist to be an artist, but I am more interested in the journey of artists where they find the right balance for them that creates a joyful, healthy, and sustainable life. I feel this way because I put so much pressure on myself to be a full-time artist since the age of 17 and started my business by my third year of undergraduate work, painting murals and exhibiting my work at galleries and museums, including the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. If I went back in time, as I am now 43 years old, I wouldn’t be so hard on myself as a young creative.

My journey to becoming a self sustaining artist began the summer before I left for Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). I painted four hospital wings on scaffolding of clouds. Once I arrived at the University, I realized that the money I had earned painting murals would not sustain me for long, so I looked for creative jobs. I eventually worked at a pottery painting studio, Midnight Star Pottery, teaching others to paint pottery. I actually had never really painted pottery before, so I practiced and painted my mom a teacup and saucer for Mother’s Day. The owner of the shop loved it and invited me to paint all of the pottery for the window displays and let me sell the pieces. I had my first business card created and when I worked at the Pottery shop, the business owner graciously allowed me to keep my cards out and also my portfolio of murals. This is how I met my patrons for more mural work in Savannah and also the pottery sales helped sustain me as a student. By my Junior year at SCAD, I had enough patrons to become a full-time artist and I became an LLC shortly thereafter. I was able to purchase my first car, and after I completed my BFA in Painting at SCAD and MA in Art History at SCAD, I was able to purchase my first home. Since I was a little girl, it was my dream to live the American Dream with my Art. I believe my SCAD education, innate talent, grit and drive allowed me to do so. Perseverance is everything. You have to #keepgoing!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

I have been very blessed to be a successful creative and to have owned the Tiffani Taylor Gallery over the past 11 years. Prior to that, I exhibited work at other Galleries internationally. In 2015, I was the recipient of Paula Wallace’s, Founder and President of SCAD’s, endowment, Alumni Atelier. She is a dear friend and extraordinary visionary. She has been supportive of my path from the scholarships and fellowships I received as a student, to her support of my art post-graduation, as she does for many of our SCAD grads. This endowment allowed me to open up my own Atelier at the SCAD Lacoste campus for the summer and it was then that I decided to live in France after the end of the endowment opportunity. Owning a Gallery allowed me to live out this dream in Paris, France for three years and ship my paintings back to my Gallery in Savannah to continue to support my life there. In Paris I also became a Professor of Art and Marketing and it was then that I decided to earn my MFA so that I could pay it forward and share everything I have learned and the help I was given.

I am now living my dream as a Professor at SCAD and it is my first quarter teaching in our Foundations department. It is exhilarating and meaningful, I can honestly and gratefully say that this is my purpose.

What a journey it has been and there were so many times I could have given up, but I am grateful I kept my eyes on a hopeful horizon and persevered. I also made a point of not listening to the dream squashers. We have to trust our inner voice and always keep hope and keep creating, especially during times of uncertainty or darkness, as this is sometimes when our best work is created.

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

Grit and resilience are so important. Throughout my career, I have pushed through economic downturns such as the Great Recession, the Pandemic, to name a few. When the world shut down during COVID, I took my own advice I give when I lecture and mentor, I kept creating. I painted pottery and since my Gallery was closed, I ministered to the Gallery by painting the floors and making sure everything was in good order. When my sister called me to shelter in place with her to puzzle and spend time together, I created a line of puzzles (and then masks) with images from my paintings. As creatives we must keep a mailing list of patrons and I was able to continue communicating to my patron base (I have the BEST patrons!) and emailed them about the puzzles and masks and I increased our online revenue by 1600% during that time. Having a website has been so important in my career where patrons can purchase my art, the art of the artists I exhibit, and my lifestyle collection, which is a homegoods and style collection based on my paintings.

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

It was always my goal and dream, since I was a little girl, to live in Paris as an artist and live the American Dream with my Art. It took 43 years, but I did it! I think that is why it is so important to always keep going and never give up!

Contact Info:

• Website: TiffaniTaylor.com
• Instagram: @TiffaniTaylorArt
• Facebook: Tiffani Taylor Gallery
• Linkedin: Tiffani Taylor

Image Credits
Savannah Magazine and Christine Hall for all images that include my body and image. All other photos are courtesy of me.