Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyra Grayson.
Hi Tyra, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
This all started with me and my grandad printing t-shirts, he ran his own printing company for years, and I told him I wanted to learn how to make my own shirt. He would walk me through the process of designing it on the computer in CorelDraw x4 and then printing it. As time went on, I fell in love with the design process and how creative I could be. I then started using Photoshop, learning more about it and what I could do. I started off doing shirt designs in photoshop and smudge painting different photos. The rest is history. I’m now a graphic designer because I loved that my creativity had no limit, and I now design things such as album covers, flyers, logo banners, etc. As for photography, it came shortly after graphic design. My grandad came to me one day and said: “I want you to use my camera, I don’t use it much and I want to see what you could do with it.” That day, I started shooting nature, pics of my grandad, as well as my friends and it blew me away as well. I was a rapper and writer before I began all of this, and I fell in love with photography because I finally found another way to express my emotion, and that’s through a picture. I thank my grandad for helping me discover something that has now become a major part of my daily life. May his legacy live on.
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 hasn’t. I’ve had opportunities rejected and doors slammed in my face. I’ve gone through one the toughest losses, that I’ve had in about a year or so, a good friend of mine, Roderick Gray who was also my model and brand ambassador got murdered and my associate photographer, Jay Flyy, passed on natural causes. It made me take a step back for a second because losing someone not only of my business but very close to me as well as losing other loved ones and those losses helped me go harder in what I do, they would want me to keep pushing forward so I have to. Then self-doubt and anxiety, I conquer those daily but everything is this career is a mindset thing, you have to contain yourself mentally and emotionally and learn how to handle tough situations. Getting better at my craft and knowing what I need to be doing, is my best way of handling it, that and writing.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
TGD consists of Graphic Design, Videography & Photography needs. I specialize in logos, album covers, banners, etc., as well as concert and portrait photography and videography sports and cooperate needs. What I’m most proud of right now and am currently known for, is shooting artists that I’ve always listened to and making my closest people around me proud and being able to help them get to where they wanna be via my talents and resources because they deserve it.
How do you define success?
Success to me is, achieving that one goal that you have been striving so hard for, and finally getting the recognition that YOU as a creative/artist deserve.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tgdofficial.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/tyraisme
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/tyra.nicole.grayson (personal) , www.facebook.com/ArtByTGD (Business Page)
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLWsHTfDoxqCo33srGLEhfA
Image Credits
Headshot: Shot by Tyrell Hood
Shots of anniversary bash (with friends): Shot by Dre #YGATDRE
