Daily Inspiration: Meet Tiffany Baker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Baker.

Hi Tiffany, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, My name is Tiffany Baker, I’m a Chicago-born Artist and Digital Designer working out of Brooklyn, New York. I specialize in realist portraiture with a focus on nostalgia and storytelling highlighting images of black people.

I’ve been an artist since the very earliest moments of my life. My early childhood was filled with daydreaming, “making” mini sculptures around the house from aluminum foil, and drawing on any scrap of paper I could find. The transition from these budding experiences to the artist I am today took a winding journey spanning a couple of cities. I moved to Brooklyn, New York for an undergrad degree at Pratt Institute hoping to start an exciting design career after. “Proving” I could make it as a creative in New York meant eating many budget-friendly meals with roommates before landing my dream design job at a global media organization. This new employment was the opportunity that made me feel I could exhale a sigh of accomplishment.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The journey has been a mix. Every story has some form of opposition. In my experience, the smoothest moments happened when I stopped working against my natural inclinations. A few years into my dream job, I stopped feeling fulfilled with the work I was doing. I had done everything “right” up until that moment yet felt like my voice was being muffled. I knew I wanted to create and share black stories in a positive and authentic way. Everywhere I looked, examples of suffering, police violence, and disparity were being proliferated, whereas I wanted to show the innate joy and regal beauty of blackness. Moreover, I wanted to share my art, which I had stopped creating since becoming an employee. Then the 2020 pandemic happened. It was a time when fear and social unrest were at an all-time high. The shutdown was in full swing and the world was now working from home. Feeling out of sorts and disconnected, I managed to cope by painting murals for businesses in my local neighborhood of Bed-Stuy.

Eventually, I created more local art and became known by friends and peers for my artwork on community refrigerators, all while working full-time (remotely). Today, I continue to uplift and share black stories via my visual art. Most recently, I’ve illustrated a 40-page children’s book entitled “J is for Justice”, teaching children the importance of freedom, justice, and equality at a time when many titles are being banned throughout the county. This process taught me that working with myself not against it by creating community art was a catalyst to lead me here, and I feel like it’s only getting started.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Outside of painting and creating murals I mentor young designers, teach art classes, and host events promoting my art and work as a Senior Interactive Designer full-time.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?

Yes! For Books, I recommend:
J is for Justice – Nekima Levy Armstrong, Illustrated by Tiffany Baker (me!)
The Artist’s Way – Julia Cameron
Visual Thinking – Temple Grandin
Mindset – Carol Dweck
Get Good With Money – Tiffany Aliche
You are a Badass at Making Money – Jen Sincero
All About Love – Bell Hooks

For Apps –
TikTok
Instagram
Calm / Insight timer
Duolingo Mint

Pricing:

• Original art $2,575-$5,750

• Murals $2,575 and up + materials

• Design services $3,500 weekly

• Prints $75-$175

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tiffany-baker.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiccupbk/?hl=en

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studioHBKart/

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanyebaker/

• Other: TikTok @hiccupbk

Image Credits
Photographer Credit: Jason Bailey Artwork images courtesy Tiffany Baker