Creative Friday Feature: TaylorTooWavey

This week's feature is the amusing TaylorTooWavey. I've always seen Taylor with a smile and warming aura, she is magnetic. Taylor has been in the creative community for years but created the series Dead or Alive more recently.

Here's TaylorTooWavey's story.

1. Introduce yourself and what you do?

My name is Taylor (TaylorTooWavey in the creative community). I’m from Ellenwood, GA. I am the creator and host of an interview series titled Dead or Alive, where I bring in different creatives and find out 3 people they would meet, Dead or Alive, and why! This gives an insight into who they look up to and are inspired by. I also work on the teams of a couple artists, working in music management and assistance.

2. What does community mean to you?

Community to me is a group of likeminded people working to uplift and cheer one another on. It is about building relationships with others. Having a community, especially in a huge creative city like Atlanta, is important in that it not only give you a sense of unity, but it also makes you feel safe and secure. I value the community I surround myself with SO much, it is one of the main things that keep me going.

3. What does mental health mean to you?

Whew. Mental health is your emotional and psychological well-being. It is essential to your quality of life on a day to day basis. My mental health is extremely important to me, and I try my best to prioritize it on a day to day basis. For a while, I struggled a lot with my mental health. It took me intentionally focusing on it for a long period of time to take the reins and feel better overall.

One of the reasons I started Dead or Alive was to help with my mental health. It helps me step out of my comfort zone, connect with others, and honestly it gets me out of the house.

4. What is Dead or Alive and how did you create it?

Dead or Alive is a series created and hosted by Taylor Too Wavey. The series features creatives of many mediums and gives a rare insight of their process and inspiration by having the guest reveal three people they would like to meet ‘Dead or Alive’! The series highlights how different mediums of the art go hand-in-hand and that there are many dialects within the language of art. We seek to empower people who’ve dedicated their lives to their dream in one way or another. Some guests are well-recognized but not truly known and some guests are individuals who we feel NEED to be known. We also seek to connect creatives of all mediums by showcasing how we can inspire each other by doing what we all respectively do best.

Dead or Alive was connected during a conversation I was having with a friend. I always play random games with my friends, like would you rather this or that… This particular time, I remember hearing a song and raving how the artist was one of my favorites and I would love to meet them and talk about their artistic process. From there I asked, “If you could meet anyone in the world, who would it be and why?” Instantly a lightbulb went off in my head, and I typed the idea in my notes app. From there I mapped out everything I needed, watching some YouTube videos, and tried to muster up the confidence to actually DO it (this step alone took me months). I am very happy that I’ve started it and that it has been slowly, but surely, growing organically.

5. How do you navigate productivity and ADHD?

I try to lean into practices that keep me calm and rid me of distractions. When I’m working from home, I work in my office with all of the windows open, and I make a to-do list on a sticky note of everything I need to do for the day, whether it be corporate work related or creative work, then place the sticky notes visibly on my computer where I will see them all day. Funny enough, I think having multiple things to work on that are unrelated (Dead or Alive, corporate work, music management tasks, etc.) help me with my ADHD. When I get tired of one task, I hop to another one. I’m typically working on something, even if it isn’t the same thing, I was working on 30 minutes ago. For me, that breaks up the tasks into smaller parts that somehow become complete. During the workday, I take physical breaks where I can and go for about a mile walk. I believe taking intentional breaks while working is beneficial. One of the main things I’ve started to do is exercises that move with intention, like hot yoga, pilates, and barre. The slow and steading movement forces me to be calm, while also getting that rush of endorphins and working off some of the excess energy.

6. How do you recenter and ground yourself?

Definitely working out. Within the past year or so, working out has been the main things that allows me to just brush off all of my stressors and worries. At times that my day isn’t going great, I’ll go to the gym and just do some cardio. I swear it’s magic, no matter the amount. I wish I was doing in the routine of working out daily earlier in life.

Also, just hanging out with my loved ones and having a good time. Sometimes just a hangout or even a quick talk with someone I love can turn my entire day around without anyone knowing.

8. What are some of your upcoming goals or things we should look out for?

I have a new series (or two) in the works! I want to do other things in tandem with Dead or Alive, so I’m super excited to map those out and start putting them together. Also, I’m looking to start a live music series for Dead or Alive, featuring different musical artists who have previously been on the platform and having them do live performances. Honestly, I have so many more things I want to do.