Meet Taylor Smythe | Award-Winning Author, Graphic Designer, and Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Taylor Smythe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Taylor, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
For any creative work, I believe that discipline and consistency are instrumental. I simply wouldn’t have ever finished writing my first novel if I didn’t show up in front of my keyboard regularly, even to write just a few sentences. Because over time, those little bits add up to a whole, so eventually you’ll able to step back and look at something that you’re (hopefully) very proud of. And at the very least, you should be proud that you made it this far. I think another habit that was helpful to my creative success was starting small. I didn’t start out writing a novel or releasing an album. It had to start somewhere. In grade school, I dabbled in crafts and learning how to use a computer. In highschool and university, I ventured into creative writing and short stories, and honed my design skills. After college, I learned an instrument and started writing songs. All of these steps allowed me to dive into larger creative projects in my adult life, having tried and failed and dabbled all of my life. That’s allowed the process to have far less pressure than if I was creating my first “thing” and expecting it to be perfect right out of the gate.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Art and creativity have been consistent threads in my story from my earliest days. While other kids enjoyed filling in a pre-made coloring book page, I always asked for a plain piece of paper so I could create my own original drawings and dream up something new. As I grew older, I began to dabble in creative writing, learning to love short stories and writing poetry or song lyrics. In college, one of the first concepts we discussed in design classes was the idea that quality can emerge from quantity. If you rapid-fire ideas, you’ll be able to sift through the mediocre concepts to find the good ones. Eventually, I gained enough confidence in those skills and practices, through hard work over a long time, and had others outside of myself affirm that they connected with my work or that they found it excellent or beautiful. That propelled me into creating more fearlessly, and at a faster pace. I wrote my first novel about five years ago, and up until that point, I had never written something of that length. But all it took was steady progress and discipline to keep chipping away at it until there was a complete story sitting in front of me. It’s an incredibly satisfying process.
I feel grateful that my creativity sprouted in communities that valued me and my creativity, and that they gave space for me to express my story through that vulnerable medium that is “art” (in every sense).

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I absolutely love West Palm Beach, so there are no shortage of spots I’d want to take a friend if they visited. Starting the day with good coffee is a must, so we’d definitely swing by the Pumphouse Pouratorium–a beautiful space and roastery that’s fueled many of my most productive writing sessions this year. Next, we’d either take a walk in Howard Park or stroll around on the intracoastal waterfront. For lunch, you simply can’t beat Cholo Soy Cocina–a trendy taco spot that has the most perfectly-prepared meat I’ve ever tasted. We could spend an afternoon at Palm Beach just across the bridge, enjoy dinner on Clematis Street or at Pig Beach BBQ (more delicious meat), then top the night off with drinks–a tie between the Canopy Hotel rooftop bar (with the most incredible views of the city from 13 stories up) or one of West Palm’s newest establishments, Juicy Cocktails, which features a menu of tropical fruit-inspired beverages that are absolutely delicious.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give a shoutout to one of my frequent collaborators (and dear friend), David Urbinati, who makes up the other half of our electronic pop band, The Transient Friends. The closeness in our friendship has allowed us to be more open to creative ideas without letting too much judgment or fear get in the way. I’d also like to thank my many English and writing teachers from over the years who helped me develop a love for storytelling and creative writing. I wouldn’t have made it this far without them. Specifically, I want to thank David Athey, my college creative writing professor, who helped inspire me with the title for my first series (Kingdom of Florida) and gave me the confidence to settle into my identity as a Florida fiction writer.

Website: www.ttsmythe.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ttsmythe

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaylorThomasSmythe/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ttsmythe

Other: Immerse yourself in my award-winning middle-grade fantasy series: www.kingdomofflorida.com Dive into my ongoing award-winning YA sci-fi series: www.magiccitywonders.com Listen to our band, The Transient Friends, on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2UQdP27VhikUxNhHGvTCrS?si=_94hUCqPQcqMSyR8EJPc5Q

Image Credits
Taylor Smythe and Brian Larrabee