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

Timothy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Imagine you’re a high school sophomore in class. The teacher is going on and on about a subject you have absolutely no interest in. You fiddle with your pen on the paper and start doodling. A whole hour passes and your paper is covered with doodles.

Funny how we’d do anything to avoid listening. Luckily for me, I found my passion doing just that. Ever since that day in math or English or whatever class it was, I started doodling, and I didn’t stop the rest of high school. Once high school ended I didn’t want the doodling to end so I just kept on doing it. The doodles turned into paintings, the paintings turned into piles of canvases, and those piles of canvases turned into an art show! I don’t know much, (probably should’ve payed attention in school) but I do know that I’m meant to be an artist.

Timothy, 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?

I am a fine artist… Honestly that sounds pretty funny to me. I personally wouldn’t call it “fine”. My paintings are grimy and messy and expressive. And to me, thats where I thrive. I guess I’d call myself a Gallery Artist.

I create paintings that get me excited. That challenge me, and that wakes my soul up. I’m in a constant state of experimentation. An ever changing process that builds me up and breaks me down over and over again. Each time I’m built i’m brand new. Then it all topples over, ready to be built again, newly improved. A state some reject, which I fully understand. I mean I tried rejecting it, but to me it’s inevitable. So I try to embrace it as much as I can. It’s much like “failure”. It isn’t ever a failure until you stop building. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and guess what, Rome has fallen. Did life go on? Yes! In fact it improved. It’s growing. Each “failure” we go through is simply growth happening. I think this is where I differ from other artists. Some artists (forgive me) hold on to dead weight. They aren’t willing to start over. To traverse new land. They want the same, or the world demands the same from them. I aspire to challenge those demands. To grow.

The thing i’m most proud of is never giving up on myself. When it comes to art and when it comes to life… for years, I’ve been dealing with ocd and cyclothymia. It hasn’t quite been sunshine and rainbows for me, and it hasn’t been for anyone else. I think that’s partly why I keep going. Why I keep pushing against the grain. Because I know I’m not alone. Billions of people are struggling and I’m one of them. You’re one of them, and if one person can triumph over their fears or situations, anyone can.

If I can tell you one thing about my work, it’s that it’s true. It’s raw. It comes from a fragile yet empowering place. And my goal for others is to impact them emotionally. To feel something they may have not felt in a really long time or ever. To , for just a second, help them drop whatever they’re holding onto and just be. I’ve seen art pieces impact people’s lives deeply. It’s happened to me. I’m young, reckless and, well, at least mature enough to say that I’m immature. But I’m seasoned by life’s punches, and I got the crazies in the eyes! So I think I have a fightings chance to really impact people’s lives by my paintings.

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

I KNOW I am resilient. I have cyclothymia, which is a less intense version of bipolar, thank goodness. But without medication, it can feel overwhelming and crippling. Then there’s the OCD that likes to come in full force once the cyclothymia knocks me down to my feet. They double team me and sometimes it feels like I have no chance at winning. But I get up, every time. And every time I get stronger, and the illness gets weaker. The very essence of these challenges are peppered in my art. It may very well be my muse.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Creative people tend to be VERY sensitive. What I’ve learned from being me, is that it’s like I’m made out of water. If I get punched, spiritually speaking, I splash around and it can be a frightening experience, but never will it break me, cuz we sensitives are unbreakable. We are also extremely adaptable because we see and understand things deeply. Hence, why we tend to be the creative ones. I don’t try to push people to understand my art. I don’t try to make my art logical in any way. If it comes out that way, great! Usually it doesn’t though. Usually it comes out confusing for the logical thinker. I mean even if I try to grasp my paintings in a logical sense, I’ll get nowhere. That’s the point! When people ask me “what does it mean” I go crazy! It’s not supposed to mean anything! It’s just what it is. The real question to ask is, “How does this make me feel?”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://timothytaratchila.com
• Instagram: timothytaratchila
• Other: TikTok: Timothy.taratchila

Image Credits

Xavier Dubon