Taylor Conrad is an aspiring graphic designer and illustrator from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She attended Mount Saint Vincent University, graduating in 2016 with a Bachelor of Public Relations, all while playing varsity volleyball. In the past, she has worked in the non-profit and corporate sector working as a communications and marketing coordinator. Having always had a love for the arts and creative design, she made the choice to leave this field to pursue the graphic design program at NSCC and to advance her design abilities. Taylor has found personal fulfillment through helping her friends and family with their design projects. She hangs her hat in the north end of Halifax, working as a freelance graphic design and illustrator.
What makes you proud to say you live in Atlantic Canada?
I’d say what makes me proud to live in Atlantic Canada is without a doubt the sense of community and our closeness to nature. Doing this piece allowed me to try and combine those concepts together.
What inspires your creative process?
I am super lucky to be surrounded by extremely creative people. They are my inspiration. If I ever have a creative block, I look to my friends work and try my best to collaborate with them. It’s cool because in the end its mutually beneficial.
What do you hope your legacy will be?
I am an amateur graphic illustrator at the moment, so it is hard to really imagine what my legacy will be at such an early point in my life and career. However, if in the future I can communicate important world issues and promote conscious living and use my work as a platform, that is what I would like my legacy to be.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received so far?
My parents always said this when I was growing up and I use it in my life constantly – you get what you give.
What is a common misconception about millennials that you disagree with?
There are so many! But the one that irks me on a regular basis is the theory that millennials are not hard working or lazy. This is just not true. We do not have the traditional work ethic that past generations valued, but this means that today we will not sacrifice our passions and happiness for a paycheck. We value innovation and living minimally because the environment is primary focus.
What does self-care or wellness mean for you?
I have always been an extremely active person. I have been an avid volleyball player since I was a kid and continue playing today. Sports and active living have been a way for me to cope with life’s challenges. These days I practice yoga and try my best to eat plant-based meals. Self-care and wellness mean treating my body and mind well on the inside and outside. I’m very conscious of what I put in my body because I truly believe diet impacts the body and mind and I try to heal myself from the inside out.
What’s your favourite way to support local?
I buy local produce from the farmers market. I love wine and nothing makes me happier than opening a bottle from a vineyard in my own backyard.
Will whine about:
Battling climate change through boycotting animal agriculture and eating a plant-based diet.
Will wine about:
All of the local wines and craft beers which have been popping up across the region these days.
