Today we’d like to introduce you to Taye Nicole
Hi Taye, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! My name is Taye and I am from Littleton, Colorado and currently living in Savannah, Georgia! For as long as I could remember I have always loved creating using all different types of mediums. Painting, drawing, crocheting, photography, crafting, pottery, you name it! I would get lost in my own little world. Art was and is my safe place. Growing up I got bullied a ton, I was the black sheep of my family, and just wasn’t all that great at school. Growing up with learning disabilities and differences, I was constantly told i would never be as successful as my peers, or get into a four year college. I never quite had a space where I felt “this is mine, this is where I belong” unless if it was me and my work. Creating gave me that space. A space to belong, to feel, to communicate, to breath and to be. When I was 11 my Papa taught me how to paint, that day really opened up some doors for me. It was like I unlocked a new super power. Throughout middle school and highschool I was always known as the art kid. I took all of the art classes offered and usually spent my lunch and off periods in the art room drawing or painting. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to paint murals, design the merchandise and menus working my first job at a Gelato Shop in Colorado. That opportunity really made it clear to me that I wanted to do art for a living. When it was time to start applying to colleges I got into my dream school SCAD, but I struggled with some self doubt if art was a viable choice for my future. I tried convincing myself to go to nursing school even with severe emetophobia, or even a studying a trade. It wasn’t until my ex partners parents sat me down and told me “Your out of your damn mind if you don’t go to art school”. I will be forever grateful for that conversation. In 2021, I moved to Savannah, Georgia to attend Savannah College of Art in Design. I am now in my final year, planning to graduate in May of 2025 with my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Illustration with a focus in Surface Design
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, not easy at all! As a mentioned before I struggled with a lot of bullying, along with some negative influences telling me I wouldn’t make it to where I am today. I was raised to believe that because I have differences that I could not be as successful as my peers and for a long time I believed that. A long with that, I had experienced a lot of trauma in my upbringing, resulting in tons of mental health strugglings and making me feel less then. I struggled to believe i was worthy of a space of belonging, but art paved that way for me. When I said I wanted to pursue art for a living, it was often looked at as a joke, from family and friends. It was really rocky having little support of my following my passion, stepping of the path of my business career family. I feel now confident through years of therapy, new friends, professors and more that i have a space that I am worthy of owning. Using the hate as fuel to work hard and prove everyone wrong was very worth it in the end.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Surface Designer and Illustrator with a passion for storytelling and bringing others joy. My work is playful, whimsical and has a child like feel to it. I enjoy connecting with my inner child through my work hopefully for viewers to connect with theirs too. Patterns are my passion, I love creating intriguing patterns for paper and stationary products, and I love making greeting cards as well! I also love illustrating cute little animal charters and hope to do some illustrations for publications in the future. Art has the power to communicate to people in ways words cannot and i am so grateful and happy i am able to use my talent for that purpose. I dabble in digital work, but using traditional mediums is where my heart is at. I use a wide range of materials like gouache, watercolor, ink, graphite and color pencil to create my illustrations. I am known for my strong sense of color and use of detail in my work! along with my very cute and approachable art style. I am most proud of my patterns being featured on Pattern observer and noticed out in the world, but also seeing peoples reactions to my work. I love the smile it brings to everyones face. What sets me apart is my care and research that goes into every project along with my maximalist style.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The ability to problem solve creatively. Problem solving is a huge part of the game, a client will come to you with a “problem” and what will make you successful is how you problem solve. The ability to problem solve is what sets you apart. But also problem solving in the sense of, how can i do this better the next time around? how can i get through this hard point in my life? how does this project get from point A to Point B? How will I meet the deadline? Problem solving is huge and incompasing of all parts of life. Being a creative is not only a career but a lifestyle, and with that is also being a problem solver.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.madebytayenicole.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madebytaye/
