Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanaja Brown.
Tanaja, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Art has always been a part of my life. I started creating at a young age, and I was always the kid who loved art class, drawing, and making arts and crafts. Creating was something that came naturally to me, and as I got older, it was something I never stopped doing.
As my love for art grew, I wanted to take my skills more seriously and discover what kind of artist I wanted to become. I attended a pre-college art program in high school, where I was able to practice and strengthen my skills, especially in realism. That experience helped me begin developing my own artistic style and gave me a clearer vision of where I wanted my art to go.
I later attended Delaware State University to continue developing those skills and, more importantly, to build confidence in myself and my work. During college, one of my best friends asked me to create a commissioned piece for him. I created the artwork, made my first sale, and from that moment on, my eyes opened to the possibility of turning something I loved into something bigger.
From there, I started receiving advice and encouragement from the people around me. Another person I met during college really motivated me to stop looking at my art as simply something I enjoyed doing and to start treating it like a business. That mindset shift was important for me. I began creating custom graduation caps for other students, and little by little, people started recognizing my work and reaching out for custom pieces. That was really the beginning of my art business.
Then COVID happened, and although it was an uncertain time, it gave me something I hadn’t really had before: time to sit down, reflect, create, and figure out exactly what I wanted my business to become. I was able to think more intentionally about how I wanted to run my business, the type of artwork I wanted to create, and how I wanted people to experience my work.
During that time, I also became more intentional about building my presence on social media. I started consistently sharing my artwork, putting myself and my creativity out there, and allowing more people to discover what I was creating. Eventually, my work began reaching audiences I never imagined. I even started receiving recognition from celebrities who came across and acknowledged my art. Those moments were extremely motivating because they showed me that my work could reach people far beyond my immediate circle.
COVID became an unexpected period of growth for me. It gave me the opportunity to really learn myself as an artist and learn what it meant to be a business owner. I wasn’t just creating artwork anymore, I was building TMBartistry and developing an identity for myself and as an artist.
When I look at where I am today, I realize that TMBartistry wasn’t built from one big moment. It was built through years of creating, learning, experimenting, taking chances, listening, and continuing even when I didn’t know exactly where it would lead. As my business has grown, my artwork has grown with it. My work is heavily inspired by real-life experiences, emotions, music, Black love, self-love, self-expression, and learning to be comfortable with who you are. Art has always been therapeutic for me, and many of the things I may not always know how to express through words, I am able to communicate through my work.
I’ve also had opportunities to showcase my artwork at art shows and connect face-to-face with people who resonate with my work. Those experiences have become some of my favorite experiences of being an artist. There’s something special about hearing what someone sees, thinks, or feels when they look at something I’ve created. Sometimes people connect with a piece in a completely different way than I originally intended, and those conversations remind me that once I create something, it can take on a new meaning through someone else’s experience.
Alongside being an artist and business owner, I’ve also grown into my role as an art educator. Being able to teach young artists and encourage them to explore their own creativity has given art another meaning in my life. I know how important art class and creative spaces were for me growing up, so being able to provide that experience for another generation feels like my journey has come full circle in a way.
What started as simply loving art became something much bigger. My art became a way for me to express myself, connect with others, and create something that truly represents who I am. And even with everything I’ve accomplished so far, I still feel like my story as an artist and business owner is continuing to be written.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not always been a smooth road. Like any creative journey, there have been moments of doubt, frustration, and uncertainty along the way. One of my biggest struggles has been learning to have confidence in myself and my work. As an artist, it can be easy to compare yourself to other creatives or question whether your work is “good enough.” Over time, I’ve had to learn to trust my own creative voice and understand that my art doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s to be valuable.
Another challenge has been learning the business side of being an artist. Being talented and being able to create is only one part of running an art business. I’ve had to learn about pricing my work, marketing myself, communicating with customers, managing orders, promoting my work on social media, and understanding the value of my time and creativity. A lot of that came through trial and error, and I’m still learning as my business continues to grow.
Balancing everything has also been a challenge. Today, I’m not only an artist and business owner, but also an art educator. Finding the time and energy to pour into my students, my career, my business, and my own creativity requires a lot of balance. There are times when one area of my life may require more attention than another, and I’ve had to learn to give myself room to grow without feeling like I have to do everything at once.
But I think those struggles have also been some of my greatest teachers. They’ve taught me patience, consistency, confidence, and the importance of continuing to show up for myself. I’m still figuring things out as I go, but when I look back at where I started compared to where I am today, I can see how every challenge has contributed to my growth, not only as a business owner, but as an artist and a person.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Through TMBartistry, I create art that is rooted in emotion, culture, music, self-expression, black love, self-love, relationships, identity, and real-life experiences. I specialize primarily in realism and portraiture, working with mediums such as oil and acrylic paint, while also exploring mixed media.
One thing I think I’m known for is creating pieces that feel familiar but still tell a deeper story. Music and pop culture are huge inspirations for me, and I love taking those influences and transforming them into something that connects to an emotion, memory, or experience. I want someone to look at my artwork and not just see an image, I want them to feel something. Some people may see love, nostalgia, heartbreak, confidence, or even recognize a part of their own story within the piece.
Over time, TMBartistry has also grown beyond original canvases. I’ve expanded my artwork into prints, apparel, custom pieces, and other products that allow people to experience my art in different ways. I love the idea that art doesn’t have to exist only on a gallery wall. It can be something you hang in your home, something you wear, or something you incorporate into your everyday life.
What sets my work apart is that I create from a very personal and genuine place. A lot of my inspiration comes from things I’ve experienced, things I’ve felt, music I’ve connected with, or moments within Black culture that have stayed with me. My work is a reflection of me, but I intentionally leave room for the viewer to create their own connection to it.
I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve continued to grow without losing the love for creating that started all of this. I’m also proud that my journey has come full circle through becoming an art educator. I get to build my own career as an artist while encouraging young artists to discover their creativity and confidence.
At the core of everything I do is connection. Whether someone connects with one of my original paintings, sees themselves in the message behind a piece, wears one of my designs, or simply has a conversation with me at an art show, I want my work to make people feel something. That emotional connection is what I want TMBartistry to always represent.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something that most people may not know about me is that I’ve been my own nail tech for the past six years. What started as me simply wanting to learn how to do my own nails eventually became another creative outlet for me.
I think it connects naturally to who I am as an artist because I love working with my hands and creating something from scratch. When I do my nails, I get to play around with colors, shapes, patterns, textures, and different ideas, just on a much smaller canvas. Sometimes I go into it knowing exactly what I want, and other times I figure out the design as I go.
People are usually surprised when they compliment my nails and I tell them that I did them myself. I’ve been doing them for so long now that it has become part of my routine and another way for me to express my creativity outside of painting.
I also love the independence of being able to teach myself a skill and continue improving at it. I think that says a lot about my personality in general. If there’s something I really want to learn how to do, I’m usually willing to sit down, practice, make mistakes, and figure it out until I get better at it.
So even when I’m not creating for TMBartistry, there’s a good chance I’m still finding some way to be creative, and sometimes that just happens to be a fresh set of nails.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tmbartistry.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tmbartistry/
- Other: Tik Tok: tmbartistry
