Today we’d like to introduce you to Taelyr Roberts.
Hi Taelyr, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am a Dallas, Texas native who has always had a love of the arts in many different forms including learning to sketch in my church’s art ministry, sewing clothes, painting, and crocheting. Using this love and a knack for creating, I started my first business at 12 which included a number of handmade goods such as soaps and crocheted headbands. At 13, my aunt bought me a jewelry-making kit from a late-night Home Shopping Network purchase, and from there a new artistic pathway was formed.
Following college graduation, I began delving into the world of wellness and healing practices to combat the stress of the world I now knew as adulting. Aside from yoga, the most impactful change in my life was the use of essential oils. As my wellness needs grew more complex, I learned the art of essential oil blends and began weaving them into my daily life. Because people would give me odd glances while holding essential oil blends to my nose, I knew that there had to be a way to create a personalized aromatherapy experience that I could carry around with me every day but also avoid those odd glances.
By marrying those two interests, Hippie Adjacent was born.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No! Absolutely not. I have of course had tons of support from family and friends. I always know that I have people cheering me on, but in a lot of ways, I have been my own worst enemy. Clay earrings has become a VERY saturated market, in part I think because the barrier to entry is so low. I often find myself comparing my work to other designers and feeling inferior. Imposter syndrome is such an insidious thing that starts as a seed of doubt and very quickly grows. I’ve worked hard to keep those thoughts and troubling comparisons in check, but it is an ongoing process.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Clay earrings are definitely my bread and butter and I am particularly known for clay earrings with interesting shapes and funky geometry. In contrast however, my most notable work is a pair of earrings named Kehinde which were a pretty serious deviation from my usual work. These earrings were inspired by Kehinde Wiley’s presidential portrait of Barack Obama. I have long admired and loved his paintings, but seeing the Obama portrait in person was a different experience. I remember turning the corner and being awash in lush, bright, greenery and I wanted to create earrings that felt like that. I hand cut, sculpted, and detailed each and every leaf. One pair can take over 2 hours to make. I initially made the Kehindes as a skill test funny enough. I kind of just wanted to see if I could even create something that would illicit the feeling that I experienced. To this day, I play around with new techniques or see inspiration and force myself to try them in order to build my skill set. I posted the one pair that I made on my Instagram and people loved them so much that they begged me to sell them. They are the most expensive pair of earrings in my catalogue, but to this day each leaf is cut, and detailed by hand.
What do you think about happiness?
So many things. I truly love and am fueled by the experience of life. Nature, plants, and art especially make me happy. Feeling my toes stretch into slightly dewy grass on a perfectly temperatured spring day while you have the perfect playlist is probably my favorite feeling. I think I’ve always been a pretty joyous person as a default, but I’ve found that the older I get and the more I know about the world, the harder it is to hang onto that so experiencing the purity of nature is always a great reset.
Pricing:
- Prices range from $18-$100 in order to make items accessible for almost any income level
- Items are small-batch and handmade
Contact Info:
- Email: info@hippieadjacent.com
- Website: https://
hippieadjacent.com/ - Instagram: @hippie_adjacent
- Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/HippieAdjacent
Image Credits
Taelyr C. Roberts
