We recently had the chance to connect with Taylor Pate and have shared our conversation below.
Taylor, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
I spend my days helping contemporary artists from around the world bring their visions to life. I’m currently working on an exhibition that opens in just a few days. For this project, we’ve been creating tiles from a mixture of salt and cornstarch and filling a greenhouse with them. The process has been both inspiring for my own practice and deeply satisfying, knowing that I’m helping to share these works with the public. After work, I can usually be found in my studio, developing my own practice.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My practice is multidisciplinary, working primarily in drawing and painting, but often extending into sculpture and textiles as well. I’ve always been fascinated by folklore—the ways myths are created, and how a community can shape a mystical version of reality based on its environment. Through my work, I create visual myths and folktales, weaving symbols from the natural world to explore how the everyday overlaps with the magical and the spiritual.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I think I was always an artist; that is something that could never be changed. As a kid, I loved drawing more than anything. That part of me has never been corrupted by the outside world. No matter what I’ve gone through or experienced, it feels like I’ve been able to keep that part of myself safe. Like everyone, I’ve had experiences that shaped how I see myself, how I see the world, and who I thought I needed to become in order to keep moving forward. But the artist in me stayed with me, no matter who I became, even when I was building false versions of myself I thought I had to be. It is the most special part of who I am, and the truest part of me as well.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering has taught me to be humble and gracious. In the professional artistic sense, I have experienced more failure than success, and I am grateful for that fact. I like the journey I am on. It has shown me how much I truly care, how important my work is to me—so important that no matter what hurdles I face, personally or professionally, I will pursue it endlessly. I am deeply grateful to carry this knowledge, to know that this is what is meant for me. I imagine that if you stumble into success, you may not arrive at the same answer; you continue on simply because things are going well. But when you persevere despite challenges, you learn how strong you are, and you discover just how much this truly matters to you.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
It definitely is. The public version of me is my artwork, and that is the most authentic version of myself. It holds the thoughts and experiences I could never fully put into words. The truest way to get to know me is to look through my work.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
Being anxious! I have always been prone to anxiety, and it has never served me. It convinces me that I need to control aspects of my life that I simply cannot control. In order to learn real peace, I’ve had to let go of that—let go of being overly anxious about what people are doing or saying, how they may be perceiving me, or even larger things like global events or health struggles. I cannot change these things. Sometimes bad things happen, and no amount of anxious thought or meticulous planning will stop them. We are each on our own journey, and sometimes hardships create space for better things to emerge. To move through that, we have to cultivate trust in ourselves and accept that we cannot control everything. Life will not always go exactly the way we want it to, and the truth is, we do not always know best.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://taylorpate.squarespace.com/
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