Today we’d like to introduce you to Ty Smith
Hi Ty, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been an artistic person in more than one way. Online and in reality I am a poet, a photographer, a model, a musician, a teacher, an artist of creation, and a traveler. I would say I am a modern renaissance man.
Where does it all come from? I would say it derives from my hunger to want to know more. I was always an eager child who yearned to be more than what I was. I suppose the drive comes from the support of my loved ones and the desire to be bigger than who I am.
My Journey has been one wrapped in servitude and art. I was born a natural leader and a natural servant for the people. However, My passion lies with my art entirely. I was able to play music by ear on piano as a child, and later on guitar when I picked it up my first year of college. Music is everything to me. Although I do not play it professionally, I think, eat, live, and breathe music- of all genres I might add.
Now I find myself in a period of my life where writing (though I have also been writing for as long as I can remember) has taken over my life. My words are my story tellers. Being vulnerable is my superpower, though sometimes at a great price.
Without my passions, and without my support system, I could never be who I am now.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I cackled at this question.
Of course not. I would be worried if it was a smooth road. Then that would mean I would never have learned anything!
One of my favorite things I say and truly live by is that I am human, and to be human means to be imperfect. I have a tattoo on my right bicep that says “Human” in my own handwriting in Hebrew. This is to constantly remind me of where I stand and how it is okay to not be perfect.
I am not a saint by any means. I make my mistakes and I really try to atone for all if not most of them.
One thing people may not know about me is that I have experienced a lot of loss in my life. It’s a heavy topic that I don’t quite often mention to my friends or colleagues about. In order to cope with this, however, I throw myself into my art- whatever it is I am feeling in the moment: Guitar playing, singing like a maniac to ever my car ride song, writing- HEAVY, HEAVY amounts of writing. My current book “Here To Stay” was a poetry book written over the loss of my grandmother. That had a profound affect on me. I took my writings that I had been working on for about a year and a half (50 of them specifically) and threw them together into an anthology.
The joy that overcame this struggle was having it published by a publisher in London, then having it sold around the world. That was a brilliant experience that truly remedied some of the struggles.
In other words, I am like anyone else living their daily life with their own struggles- some more so unspeakable than others.
I really like to recognize that everyone faces their own obstacles, and though some are greater than others, we are all worthy of being validated for our continuous fights against the odds.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a flight attendant for a major U.S. airline. I was a teacher as well the past two years but I backed away for this 2024-25 school year. I’m hoping to return
In the fall!
I think you’ll find that my humor is also what I am known for. I LOVE to laugh and make others laugh. If there is a joke, I’ll be there to catch it. If there is a farce-like moment, I’ll be sure it sees the light of day just to keep the laughs going all around. I am also known for my intricate way of giving wise advice to others. Humility makes me stronger so usually I will admit that if I do not know something, I will seek out the answer. I like to believe that some would label me as a vulnerable person as I do have a tendency to be honest about how I feel or the way something makes me feel in the moment.
I am most proud of my ability to accomplish anything I set my mind to. If I say I am going to do it, I will do it. This drive has been my powerhouse since I was a kid. I have always wanted the opportunity to prove myself, and by God no force on Earth will stop me when the chance comes my way! If I don’t succeed, I fail. But if I fail, I learn. That’s also something I take pride in (though of course it stings a little. I’m sure we can all agree on that).
Another thing I am most proud about are my two pieces of literature I have made. I mentioned earlier about my first poetry book “Here To Stay”, and I was over the moon when I saw it come to fruition. Now I am even more excited for my second poetry book “Timestamps/Mementos” which comes out April 16th, 2025 on Amazon.
“Timestamps/Mementos” feels like I stripped my soul from my body, weaved it into words, and slapped it on to 280+ pages. Doing these things is NO easy feat but taking that chance was the leap of faith I needed most in my life.
I LOVE Polaroid pictures. I’m always taking my Polaroid Now+ around the world with me when I travel. I sometimes will be on a layover and will take pictures of whatever it is I find connection to in the moment. My favorites have been when I’m with my friends or traveling to places like London, Japan, or even Germany.
If Polaroid would sponsor me in with their film, I would never let them down.
The best thing is when I ask someone to take a picture of me with my camera. In those moments I get my picture but I also offer to take their picture as well, and to see their reactions of a Polaroid film is priceless. I get a lot of “Oh my gosh I haven’t seen these in years!” Or “How cool! Thank you for this!”
People love simplicity. Less is more with the film. Seeing them happy makes me happy as well and that’s why I think it’s the perfect camera.
In essence, I am a man of many hats, but never too shy to master things. I just hope that as time goes on, I can continue to do it all better.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I do not think luck has played any part of my life. I think circumstances happen because of the choices I make or the choices that other people have made for me.
My dedication to my art has been a choice, and never an easy one. I could have woken up everyday and never chosen to put my words into the spaces of a realm outside my mind and into a book. I put in the work to achieve dreams.
I always use to tell my students
“It may be difficult, but it’s never impossible.”
I truly believe that.
My job was a choice that gave me creditability where other jobs had taken me in that moment. My ability to serve and my interpersonal skills were taught to me by the greatest people I have ever met, and taking that with me along on my journey around the world has been priceless. It was a choice to take their wisdom with me where I could have chosen not to.
I can’t see myself believing in luck. I think it’s all about how we handle the deck of cards we’ve been given in this game of life.
Pricing:
- Here To Stay: $9.25 on Amazon
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/TKSthepoet
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tata_yotyo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YourCatIsMyCat/
Image Credits
Jorge Arturo Valencia- @Modern_Valencia
Ricardo Quintero- @rquinterophoto
