Meet Tiffany McKnight | Muralist, Designer, and Public Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tiffany McKnight and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tiffany, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
Being a full-time artist is not for the weak. There is a lot of time spent managing your free time, navigating opportunities, and networking. All of those things can drain your energy or put you on the path to burnout if you’re not careful. For me, the most critical decision I could make for myself and my career was addressing my mental health and seeking therapy. Therapy helped me manage my emotions, develop boundaries, and generally get deeper in touch with myself and my relationships with friends, family, and clients. It also helped me balance work and play, and be at peace with alignment.

Although I am still in the process of learning, I approach every day as a new chance to maneuver the highs and lows of life, along with managing my expectations and my definition of success. To me, success isn’t only about acquiring things and having great finances, it’s about finding joy in the small moments of discovery, new experiences, and learning lessons that help me to grow. No matter what industry you’re in, I think it’s imperative to approach your mental health as a workout for your mind and spirit. It’s changed the way I define my value, create, and manage my art practice over the years.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I consider myself an abstract artist who enjoys creating vibrant patterns and designs. Whether I’m painting a mural, designing a digital graphic, or making surface designs for textiles or objects, I approach each of these as a unique means of expression and an opportunity to connect with as many people as possible using color, line, and form as my primary means of communication.

I recently have found myself looking deeper into the decorative arts and pattern making as a means for *literally* decorating the world around us. I detest plain white walls and neutral colors because I strongly feel connected to the intensity and emotions that color can evoke in us, not to mention the positive effects it can have on our mental health and the surrounding environment.

I went to school for printmaking and painted my first outdoor mural in the summer of 2020. Despite spending years working in the publishing industry after graduating college, I always knew my love of color and design would bring opportunities that I had always dreamed of. A lot of that took perseverance, passion, and determination to trust that things would turn out when I was ready for the opportunity.

Now, 5 years deep into painting murals and creating designs for my textiles, it sometimes feels surreal to think about how far I’ve come. I’ve fought many private battles that no one knows about, and there were many times when I was unsure of just how far and long art could take me in this lifetime.

A resounding lesson for me was trusting my intuition, the timing of my life, and not giving up on believing that there is more in store for me if I keep creating and pushing through the constant hum of anxiety and doubt.

As a Black female living in one of the reddest states in the nation, I want people to know that I am not afraid to be my authentic self and passionately pursue the things I’ve envisioned for my future. My younger self would be incredibly proud of just how far I’ve come, knowing that just over 20 years ago, it was not common to see Black people, let alone women navigating the public art realm with confidence and trusting that they too can be bosses and confidently navigate, negotiate, and value their identity and their work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
OKC is full of little gems all over the city! Here’s my itinerary for the perfect day if I leave the house:
– Get a Gemini breakfast burrito from Big Truck Tacos, no meat, sub avocado, or the migas* (weekends only)
– Take an outdoor walk around Scissor Tail Park and see the beautiful plant life and downtown views.
– Pick up an iced matcha at Gold Dome, Prelude Coffee Roasters, or HQ on Classen.
– Take a stroll around the Plaza District and be sure to stop and snap pics at my favorite outdoor Mural exhibition, Plaza Walls.
– If I’m in the mood to shop, I’d go by Bad Granny’s, Out on a Limb, Digit OKC, DNA Galleries, or Twin Haus for vintage and artist-made goods.
– Work on my art business and marketing outreach either at Prelude or at the Verge for their free coworking Wednesdays.
– Grab a slice of pie from my neighborhood favorite, Pie Junkie. (Get the banana cream or the French silk)
– Get dinner at Takaramano in the Plaza District and splurge on sushi and the chic atmosphere. Or get takeout from two of my favorites, Sala Thai or Sheesh Mahal.
– Honorable mentions include going around the city and finding as many murals as possible, karaoke at Cookies on Western, checking out the gardens and agriculture at SixTwelve in the Paseo, catching a 1/2 priced movie at Tinseltown, or exploring the stars at the new Planetarium at Science Museum Oklahoma!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC) for the opportunity to participate in their Artist Entrepreneur program. The 10-week cohort gave me the tools I needed to approach and reassess my business with a fresh mindset.

At 37 years old, many people assume I have it all together. But truthfully, I feel like I’m just now understanding myself and being more intentional about the career I want to build and where I’d like it to take me. If I hadn’t participated in this cohort and immersed myself among other creatives navigating their businesses, I think I would still feel stuck in a familiar foundation.

Having access to opportunities for training and financial support really can make a difference. But in all honesty, your trajectory depends on how you take that training and information and implement it into your foundation to make changes and adapt to new things. OVAC is an excellent resource for artists based in Oklahoma to develop their skillset, provide funding opportunities, and be in community with others who also want to grow!

Website: https://www.tiffanymcknight.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tlynnmcknight

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tlmcknightart

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tlmcknightart

Shop my fabrics at: https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/tlmcknightart

Image Credits
Nathan Poppe
Kristin Gentry
Kyle Van Osdol
James Banks
Crossland Construction Company