We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Titan Lightfoot Carrillo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Titan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

The first time I knew it was possible to accomplish my dreams – in the way that I wanted to accomplish them – I was in my early 20s. I was advancing well in my Army career, having moved from Germany back stateside for the first time since joining at the age of 17, and independent publishing was just growing out of its infancy as a legitimate publishing platform. As soon as I found out that I could maintain as much – or as little – creative control of my novels as I wanted, I was sold on independent publishing.

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?

My name is Titan Lightfoot Carrillo, and I write books & create other art under the pseudonym T. Light Sylvan. I’ve been documenting my life online since the Hotmail days, in blogs, on YouTube, and everything in between. I also published my first novel in 2012.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Some people may not understand the urge that creatives experience to perform their art. I’m not one of them haha – but it was once phrased to me, “Why do you do what you do? Why not just try to conform to society? Doesn’t that seem easier?” The answer came to me unbidden, on the spot, and I’ve resonated so deeply with it even to this day:

“The thing that’s actually easier for me is exactly what I’m doing – anything else would be more difficult. That’s why I do it.”

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

This may be an odd answer, but the resources that have helped me most as a creative are the ones that support my mental health. Most notably, my struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder. Stints with poor mental health have always, at the end of the day, been responsible for the valleys in my productivity. Therefore, my favorite creative resource as of late has been Dialectical Behavioral Therapy – or the DBT Workbook that helps you move through the therapy at your own pace. It has enabled me to improve not only my outlook on my life, but the quality of my art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/tlightsylvan
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tlightsylvan/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/tlightsylvan
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tlightsylvan
• Other: tlightsylvan@gmail.com

Image Credits
T. Light Sylvan