We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Taylor Shaw (Artist Name: LAZERCHEF). We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Taylor below.
Taylor , thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
My creative process appears scatter-shot from the outside. Painting giant murals, making and selling hot sauces, creating logo’s and apparel, teaching at universities and craft schools, and cooking at pop-ups and on national television. All these different avenues may not seem related but they help fuel my creative practice.
Self-help guru’s will tell people to remain singularly focused on one thing and that’s how you become an expert. That never resonated with me. My brain works differently and I need to have multiple projects on the horizon which acts like a continuous source of inspiration. When I encounter a creative block in one area, I can shift focus to another. This mental shift often leads to unexpected breakthroughs and fresh ideas, propelling me forward in both projects.
Because I enjoy variety, I want to become well-versed in many things. Life is an exciting array of ideas and pathways and I want to explore the ones that excite me and make me feel connected to other people. It’s important to recognize how you work best and embrace that. Finding other artists that work in a similar manner has been illuminating and inspiring. We don’t have to remain on a singular creative path if we feel like we want other experiences.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I come from a small town on the Florida panhandle. Growing up in a special forces military family meant that my Dad was gone a lot, so me and my two brothers tried to help our Mom as much as possible. My Mom always told us to “take care of each other” and that has become our little family motto but something I try to bring into the world as well.
The retro Florida aesthetic plays a huge role in my art. The colors and vintage fonts weave into my murals. My whole family worked and some still work in restaurants. I started as a busboy/dishwasher when I was 14 and still find myself floating in and out of the food industry. Eventually I opened my own restaurant in Austin Texas before moving to Athens Georgia to help open another restaurant. While helming the kitchen I made a decision that I was either going to go to grad school or welding school. I applied to one grad program at UGA and thankfully was accepted after not being in school for 10 years.
UGA provided me with a much needed reboot into the art world. I was able to become a professor soon after and taught at South Alabama and Valdosta State University for a number of years. I was teaching and painting/designing murals full time for 2 years and reached a point where I had to make a decision between the two. Doing both full steam had burned me out. I’ve decided to choose painting.
This has allowed me time and space to start rethinking what my creative practice looks like. I have two large murals I’m currently working on for the spring season, just released a small batch of hot sauces, and I’m working on a Sri Lankan food pop-up with my partner Isuru Vidanage. I will also be looking for outlets to live paint at festivals and events.
Being a full-time artist is something I never thought I could become but I’m beyond excited to have made my way here and want to keep pushing my practice. Bringing murals to communities and creating conversations with strangers is the most satisfying experience.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Willing to fail. I have failed a lot along the way. I’ve received a massive pile of rejections from shows, open calls, and jobs. Making art is about trying new things all the time. If you can’t be comfortable without knowing the outcome then it makes it a much harder path. If I get 5 murals out of the 30 I apply for, that is really good for me. The rejections always sting, especially when you feel you knocked it out of the park, but there will be many more to come and you have to put yourself out there.
2. Willing to learn. After being in restaurants so long, getting back into grad school was a real fish out of water experience. I thought everyone was way smarter than me and didn’t know why I was there. Pushing that uncomfortable feeling aside and becoming willing to accept advice, knowledge, and ideas from other professionals only serves to help you along the way. Neutralize your ego and absorb from those around you. Then run it through your own filter in a way that makes sense to you.
3. Reaching out for help. Whether it’s business or personal, ask your peers or close network for advice. I try to help people as much as I can and it becomes a mutually beneficial relationship. Friends are always sending me mural opportunities. I would have never made it to this place without the help of my network and people I’ve met along the way.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Self-doubt. Having given up the somewhat stable world of academia, I often question if it was the right move. When you’re a mural artist, you either get a decent contract to survive for a few months, or you get nothing.
I’m a professional in the restaurant business and in art world but still have imposter syndrome from time to time. You’re generating your own income when you step out on your own and there’s a lot to worry about. Something as boring as making a daily task list helps me refocus.
Bringing others along with you also helps. Investing in yourself by hiring people to do things you don’t have the knowledge of or the time to master is also helpful. I have been extremely lucky in my mural practice the past two years and I’m learning how to outsource for website design and things I know will help me in the long run. One of my big projects last year I was able to hire a former student to help with the design and painting of a large mural. A’Shadrian is now painting on her own and I’m hoping to continue these cycles of education.
When I have these moments of self-doubt I will try and remind myself to look it through the eyes of 18 year old Taylor. Could he have imagined that I would have owned my own restaurant, gotten a masters degree, taught at the university level, and become a full-artist? That would have blown my mind back then.
Contact Info:
- Website: lazerchef.studio
- Instagram: lazerchef
