Meet Talia Ellis

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Talia Ellis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Talia, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I spent a lot of time being ashamed of myself and my differences. I was always considered odd or “weird” growing up, and it led me to attempt to act “normal” and try not to get attention. This mostly backfired and people could tell I was being inauthentic. I met a co-worker who was completely and utterly himself. Unashamed at sharing some of the downright wild honest truths about himself. I liked him all the more for it. I decided to follow that example and become my most authentic self. Finally allowing myself to be comfortable in my own skin gave me confidence and I’ve never been happier or as surrounded with people who truly love me for me.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

As an animation storyboard artist and director, my job is to effectively tell stories through clear drawing, staging, and acting. I love my job because I feel animation is a media that embraces so many forms of art: writing, drawing, sound, acting, music, movement, editing, etc. The combination of arts by many skilled artists creates a unique and shared vision. It’s a truly collaborative art and as a director and storyboard artist, I have the opportunity to guide the visual elements of the story and add to the overall cohesion of the narrative.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Having the motivation and passion for learning about and practicing drawing helped elevate my art. Constantly drawing, studying, and observing helped me build my skills faster and flesh out my artistic toolbox. My advice to anyone who’s early in their journey to develop their skills is to keep practicing. Make a ritual of setting aside at least 10 minutes a day to work on your chosen skill. Even if you don’t make meaningful strides, the consistent dedication will help develop your skill and habit of practice over time.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

I am a huge advocate of “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. Julia Cameron makes a point in the book about how artists with less skill but more success are those who have the audacity to try. The audacity to believe in themselves and put themselves out there. I love this as it gives the reader–the artist–permission to recognize that they need to nurture a belief in themselves. Skill is less important than the audacity to try.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.taliaellis.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taliaellisart/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taliaellis/