Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Goodwyn.
Hi Taylor, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been creating visual art for ten years, and it took me eight of those to finally buckle up and start sharing and offering what I created with the rest of the world.
I went to a Visual Arts Specialty Center in high school to learn the basics but decided to pursue technical writing in college. I went from agency to agency trying to find my creative voice as a way of living and was getting more disappointed at each job. It wasn’t until I lost my last marketing gig during the pandemic and suddenly had a lot more time on my hands that I started sharing my art more on social media.
It was a whirlwind from there. I had no idea what I was getting myself into with that first post and am honestly so glad or I would back out terrified. I moved out of my apartment studio and into The Reverie, a shared creative space for women-owned small businesses. I started participating in markets, creating prints, stationery, original paintings big and small, and haven’t looked back. It couldn’t be more different from what I was doing before, but once I leaned in and embraced this new lifestyle that I didn’t think was even attainable, I realized how more suited I was for it. I spend my days writing and painting, with the creative freedom to be inspired and pursue any ideas I have to then share with others, and they’re reactive to it—it’s a wonderful feeling. This work is scary and unstable but so fulfilling and beautiful. The people I have met in this industry are unlike any other, I feel like I’m surrounded and fueled by passion and support.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
For the most part, it has actually been going smoothly. Of course, there are plenty of learning curves along the way, especially since I pivoted my career from a traditional 9-5 marketing job and dove head-first into being a full-time artist. I certainly made my fair share of mistakes; my biggest (hard-headed) lesson has been discovering the value of my time and energy while still creating art that is available for whoever it speaks to.
However, considering I started this business amid the Covid-19 pandemic and have managed to only grow as time has gone on, I consider myself extremely lucky and blessed. While the pandemic has been a difficult time for small businesses, it’s also seen a surge in support and camaraderie. I was (and still am) thrilled to see that people still value the arts during this time and feel very honored to be a part of this industry in a time like this.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m an abstract artist with pieces based on elements of nature, mostly florals. My bright and colorful paintings range from smaller hand-held paper works to large 50×50″ canvas pieces. I thoroughly enjoy creating and offering such a range of sizes. I think that’s what sets me apart in a way because many artists suggest specializing in one thing and becoming a master of it, but I just want to explore more. Some days I want to play with small textured paper that can be framed as a series while other days, I just want to create a huge, modern, minimal abstract piece. I also have started to offer digital art, most specifically my Flower Head Ladies, a series of women and florals. This series is near and dear to my heart and I’ve started offering customized digital art as a result.
I’ve also really fallen in love with doing commissioned work; I was terrified of doing it before out of fear of disappointing people and the anxiety around creating something so specific for someone. But in the past year, I’ve opened up commissions slowly, and the ones I have done have been gifted as an anniversary present, or series of large paintings for an office space where a team is looking at it every day, another a series of small paper pieces for all roommates to have a special piece that connects them; a digital commission of a beloved pet and the relationship with their owner: that’s truly special. I get butterflies just thinking that they wanted something I created to represent something so meaningful in their lives, so I will definitely be offering more commissioned spots this year.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
This past year NFTs have taken the industry by storm, and there’s no ignoring it now. As a result, I believe digital art will continue to grow at lightning speed. While I still highly prefer creating physical pieces and feeling the paint and brush to canvas, any extremely emotional connection, I have enjoyed learning more about creating digitally in Procreate. There’s something about switching between brushes and colors so seamlessly on a digital pen, loading up layers, and quickly eliminating and adding that makes it feel like there are truly no rules or restrictions to what you can make. There are ideas I’ve had that I couldn’t seem to translate from my head to paper, but I was able to create something beautiful in Procreate.
Contact Info:
- Email: taylorgoodwynart@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/taylorgoodwynart
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorgoodwynart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taylorgoodwynart
Image Credits:
Kelsey Butcher Photography Jessi Shirley – Mind and Soul Photography
