We recently connected with Tiffany (AKA TeeYinJi) Gaston and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Tiffany (AKA TeeYinJi), we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
From a young age, I had this unshakeable sense of confidence and self-worth. I did things because they brought me joy or curiosity—not because they brought praise or attention. I didn’t wait for permission to pursue what made me feel alive, and I didn’t measure my worth based on whether or not people approved. That kind of self-belief is rare in children, but I had it. My younger self was bold, unfiltered, and unapologetically herself.
But adulthood changed that. Once I stepped into the world after high school, everything I believed about myself was challenged. The world tried to reshape me—to tell me that I needed to look a certain way, act a certain way, follow a specific path in order to be “enough.” I lost myself in the expectations of others. I started chasing achievements for the wrong reasons, thinking they would validate me. But even when I hit those milestones, I still felt empty.
Rebuilding my confidence has been one of the hardest and most important journeys of my life. It meant unlearning a lot of what the world taught me about value and worth. It meant returning to my roots and embracing the version of me that didn’t need applause to feel seen. That journey took years—but I’m proud to say that the woman I am today is a direct reflection of the girl I used to be, just stronger and more self-aware.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a mixed media artist, and honestly, I see my work as a reflection of my life—layered, evolving, deeply emotional, and full of intention. Each piece I create holds parts of my story, my values, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. My art explores themes like identity, resilience, memory, values, curiosities and transformation. It’s not always easy to decode, and that’s on purpose—I want people to feel the work first, to sit with it, and find their own meaning within it.
What makes my art exciting and special to me is the way I create it—very intuitively and without over-planning. I don’t box myself into a single method or theme. I usually start with one or two elements I want to include, and then I build around that. The process is experimental, fluid, and meditative. I never really know what a piece will look like until it’s done. Some of my works take months or even a year to finish, and I welcome that slowness. It allows the art to form naturally, to breathe and become something more honest.
My artistic career has never been about trends, algorithms, or checking boxes. I create for connection—for myself and for others. I want my work to hold space for emotion, for questions, for quiet reflection. It’s not loud, but it speaks. It’s not always easily understood, but it’s meant to be felt.
If I had to define my brand, it would be rooted in authenticity, emotion, and creative freedom. I don’t make art to be consumed quickly—I make art that lingers, that asks you to stay a while. My work is for those who are drawn to depth and nuance, for those who value substance over spectacle.
Right now, I’m focused on continuing to create meaningful work and building slowly and intentionally. I’ve put in years of grinding, hustling, and overextending. This phase of my life and creative journey is about ease, purpose, and fulfillment—on my own terms.
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?
Looking back on my journey, the three qualities that have had the most profound impact on my growth—both personally and creatively—are radical self-awareness, resilience through adaptation, and self-discipline rooted in purpose. Developing radical self-awareness meant learning to truly understand who I am outside of societal expectations, outside of the noise of comparison and external validation. I had to unlearn the pressure to perform, achieve, and fit in, and instead return to the version of myself that existed before the world told me who I should be—the version that created freely, felt deeply, and trusted her own instincts. That self-awareness became my compass.
Resilience, for me, wasn’t just about pushing through hardship, but about learning how to adapt when things didn’t go as planned—and they often didn’t. Whether it was losing access to college due to financial challenges or experiencing burnout from trying to meet everyone else’s expectations, I learned how to pivot, how to shift direction without shame, and how to stay grounded in who I am while remaining flexible with how I get to where I want to go. Resilience became about trusting the detours and believing that rerouting doesn’t mean failing—it means evolving.
And finally, self-discipline has been a quiet but powerful force in my life. It’s not fueled by pressure to be productive or by chasing some external version of success. My discipline is rooted in love—love for my future self, love for my body, my mind, my creativity, and my peace. I stay committed to routines that nourish me, like working out, eating well, resting, and creating on my own terms, because I want to live a life that feels whole and well—not just impressive.
For those who are early in their journey, my advice is this: take the time to really get to know yourself, not just what you want to do, but who you want to be. Be open to redirection—plans will shift, and that’s not a sign you’ve failed. And most importantly, build your discipline around what matters to you, not what impresses others. When your choices align with your values, you’ll find that your path becomes more sustainable, more fulfilling, and more true to who you really are.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
If I knew I only had a decade of life left, I would honestly spend it exactly how I’m currently living. I would continue to travel, create meaningful art, and pour into the relationships and communities that matter most to me. I’d keep nourishing myself—mind, body, and spirit—and stay committed to learning, exploring, and staying curious. I’d continue to appreciate the small, everyday moments: a good meal, laughter with loved ones, a new language learned, creating art that surprises me.
I’ve worked hard to build a life that reflects what I value most, and I wouldn’t change that just because the timeline is shorter. If anything, I’d just live it even more intentionally—with gratitude, softness, and joy.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/art.by.teeyinji/
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