Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany “Blue Soul Artist” Woolard.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am the owner and operator of Blue Soul Artist Creative Services LLC. I’m obsessed with what I do!… and with that here goes a little something about me.
Photography, fashion, design, art, and education pretty much sums me up. I believe that being creative equals freedom. Queens, NYC is where I’m from, ATL is where I work. I say that because my heart will forever bleed New York. It’s where my creative story began and Atlanta is where it resides. I do what I feel when I feel it, there’s no holding back! I’ve always held a passion for the arts. I knew that one day my passion would blossom into a career. I grew up watching my father, Raymond A. Woolard Sr. who is a designer and photographer. At an early age, he managed to expose me to more than just the word art. I learned the business, hustle, and perfection of being an artist. I would always ask myself, will I ever be as good as him? If you were to ask him, he’d tell you that I’m better than him now. Following both of my parent’s influence and love for the arts has truly made me a better person and honestly saved my life.
When I take a picture, it becomes more than just an image, it is a design. When I paint a picture, I close my eyes real tight and flow with every brush stroke. Everything that I create represents a part of me, my personality, pain, and triumph. I enjoy seeing the way people view my work and ask me, where did my concepts come from? I always tell them, that my concepts are just my pain, triumphs, and experiences all wrapped up into one big feeling with a touch of exploration and creativity.
I am an alumnus from The Art Institute of Atlanta, being the first to ever graduate with a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Photographic Imaging in 2001. I received my Masters in Art Education in 2011 from Adelphi University in Garden City, NY.
Has it been a smooth road?
In 2004, I was stricken with a debilitating rare bone disease called Kienbock’s disease, also known as avascular necrosis of the lunate, is a condition in which the lunate bone, one of eight small bones in the wrist, loses its blood supply, leading to death of the bone. The lunate is a central bone in the wrist that is important for proper movement and support of the joint. This was a very difficult time in my life. My dominant hand, my right was no longer the same. Normality was no longer for me. I couldn’t write, draw or even hold my camera. I found a way to bring myself back to what I felt was functioning. Exactly 10 years later the disease found its way back into my world. In 2014, I developed the disease in my left wrist. This time I knew what I had to do in order to feel like the same old creative me again. There are times where pain and stiffness creep their way into my hands, fingers, and wrists, but I remain determined and motivated to continue creating.
Giving up has never been an option for me. Your struggles are your strength. They provide you with a story that no one else can tell. Try to consider yourself as an individual and not as an artist who is a carbon copy or a knock off of another individual. Create with passion. Take notes and don’t ever look down.
We’d love to hear more about Blue Soul Artist Creative Services.
My work has appeared on VH1 music channel as well as in publications such as Black Enterprise and Atlanta Tribune the Magazine. I have been an Art Educator for 14 years. I began my teaching career at my alma mater, The Art Institute of Atlanta, Where I taught summer photographic imaging classes to high school students and adults. That experience encouraged my decision to continue working with the youth. I currently teach High School Visual Arts at an awesome school in East Atlanta.
In 2008, I branded and developed a new line of funk organic jewelry, Blue Dragonfly Soul which has sold in a few boutiques and can now be purchased online at www.BlueSoulArtPhoto.com/shop-1.
When I’m not educating, you can find me conducting paint parties, giving private lessons, showing my artwork in local art shows, creating custom art or photographing something wonderful. What some would consider downtime, is actually known as work time for me. I’ve been in business since 1998 and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon!
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
My parents played a major role in me becoming an artist. Like most teens, you have an idea of what you want to do but not sure of how to achieve it.
I received tons of ridicule about my future plans as a photographer and artist. The two people that stood by my decision were Ray and Joan. They continued to shower me with encouragement, business ethics, and artistic support.
I learned so much through the doubt that others held for me. I don’t think that they realize that the only thing they did was push me harder and for that I’m grateful.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.BlueSoulArtPhoto.com
- Phone: 7703563499
- Email: bflysoul@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluesoulartist/
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/bluesoulartist
Image Credit:
Tiffany “Blue Soul Artist” Woolard
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