Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Clark. They and their team shared their story with us below:
From analyst to artist, Tyler Clark (she/her) began her career at United Airlines after completing her dual degrees in Mathematics and Mechanical Engineering from Spelman College and Georgia Institute of Technology. In 2020, Tyler decided to take her leap of faith and traded in her friendly skies around the globe for a paintbrush and still managed to achieve global recognition as an artist!
Tyler, founder of Inspire by Tyler, is a Christian visual artist that creates faith-based artwork that offers representation for Black women of all ages. She specializes in mixed media paintings, which include fabric, jewelry, and synthetic hair to enhance the connection to her pieces. She empowers individuals to redefine what beauty looks like. Tyler’s goal is to employ her art to purposefully stimulate and uplift others through her own personal and spiritual journey in hopes that women of all ages are encouraged to never lose faith and to stay inspired.
As a change agent, Tyler enjoys capturing real people in her artwork. She upholds a fundamental belief that in order to transform the culture and shift the atmosphere, you must start from within the community.
Tyler’s accomplishments include but are not limited to, having multiple paintings auctioned for charity in the annual Wearable Art Gala presented by Tina Knowles and Richard Lawson. Tyler’s artwork has also been featured among the top artists in the country during Art Basel in Miami, Florida. Tyler was also interviewed on a live segment on ABC’s Windy City Live during Black History Month in 2020 and featured some of her premier pieces. Tyler has gained recognition for creating custom art for celebrities, including an eight-foot painting of recording artist Quavo, a beautiful painting of Chance The Rapper and his wife, and is also collected by actress Taraji P Henson. Tyler’s art decorates the walls of a newer Chicago school, Art in Motion, created by hip-hop artist Common. Additionally, Tyler’s art has been featured in Black-ish and The Chi. She was a season 2 contestant on YouTube’s Original Instant Influencer, a competitive art show. She also created a 23-piece collection for the Master Card Strivers Initiative event at the Apollo Theater in New York. Most recently, Tyler was featured in a Walmart Black and Unlimited commercial and was also an exhibiting artist for the BET Her Awards.
Tyler strives to have statement paintings in Black homes that are memorable to the African-American community. Tyler wants her art admirers to know that all things are possible with God at the center of their hearts; “for we walk by faith, not by sight!” 2 Corinthians 5:7
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a full-time artist had its challenges, including navigating the turbulence in this economy. In 2020, many Black-owned businesses experienced significant growth in sales. This gave many of us an unrealistic entry point into full-time entrepreneurship. Fast forward a few years, there has not been as much emphasis globally on supporting Black-owned businesses. That in addition to the economic changes has had a negative impact on my business. I ultimately decided to go back to my corporate job. This helped me be more stable overall, and I also had more capacity since my business slowed down. I’ve learned that things change in ways that can be unexpected and that I just need to do my best along the way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Hair is such a culturally relevant topic in the Black community. Many of us have experienced a difficult time managing our hair. We have been really focused on learning how to properly care for our hair, and there has been a major shift in the natural hair movement. We want to embrace our natural curls and coils. Visual representation is essential. We need to see beautiful artwork that we can identify with. My goal is to create powerful art that highlights Black beauty and hair versatility. Inspire by Tyler promotes self-love, faith, and women’s empowerment. My art primarily features Black women with natural hair. I use mixed media elements such as synthetic hair, fabric, and jewelry to make my art more realistic. I primarily highlight natural hairstyles like braids, locks, twists, curls, and fros. I also offer 2D accessories such as phone cases, tote bags, mugs, and backpacks to provide representation at an accessible cost.
The art I create embraces women’s and girl’s beauty, including their skin tone and hair texture. My products are great for wall decor or accessories and validate our self-image. This art brings joy and nostalgia to the collector. My goal is to uplift my community by showcasing our natural beauty and hair versatility through my paintings.
After I made the decision to be a full-time artist, I invested time in building out my business structure. I had a social media following of about 30K then, and I needed to find a way to convert my followers to customers. Once we were no longer were able to attend events due to the pandemic, I pivoted into a stronger online presence by investing in revamping my e-commerce platform and marketing efforts. I was able to nearly triple my social media following in a few months. These were some of the best decisions I could have made at that time. My customer experience was improved when I redesigned my website. I was also able to generate sales by working with a marketing agency. Quitting my job in 2020 was a good decision, and I am proud to say that I was on a full-time entrepreneurship journey for two and a half years. I recently made the decision to go back to my corporate job. This pivot was also very important, and I’m proud of myself for making the difficult decisions needed to navigate my business.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I appreciate brand partnership opportunities. Please check out my website and social media to support me on my journey.
Pricing:
- Notebooks $19.99
- Canvas Prints $85 and up
- Poster Prints $35 and up
- Totebags $30 and up
- Original artwork $600 and up
Contact Info:
- Website: https://inspirebytyler.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspirebytyler
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inspirebytyler
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/65718569/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/inspirebytyler
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/inspirebytyler
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@inspirebytyler
Image Credits
Sabrina Eagles-Clark Leah Dixon Keya Trammell James Mendez Eric Johnson
