Around The World With Noahamin Taye
This art director, who previously led Meta's We The Culture program, finds inspiration in her travels.
Noahamin Taye is talking to me from Brazil.
She’s stateside actually, but I can practically hear the South Atlantic Ocean through my MacBook speaker as she reflects on the sights and sounds from her trip to the South American country. “Seeing the ocean, digesting the cultural landscape, it was a beautiful experience,” she says on Google Meet. “I still want to learn more and I plan on going back soon.”
Born and raised in the north side of Atlanta, Taye realized that she wanted to be a director after watching a Vogue documentary in high school. She’d go on to study communications and design at Syracuse University. While there, she wore multiple hats as the Editor-In-Chief of The Renegade Magazine and also earned a certificate of completion from the Fashion & Beauty Communications Milestone program.
Initially, Taye was hesitant to immerse herself in the the world of creativity because, thanks to her time at Syracuse, she believed that you had to have the financial means to fully produce the ideas she was thinking about. “The idea of having to pay for work, to pay for creating, prevented me from thinking big because I thought, ‘I can’t do it,’” she says. “ I won’t be able to produce what I want because I don’t have enough money to buy the supplies, shape things, and get them from the page to real life.”
But after a life-changing chance to study abroad in Florence, Italy, Taye learned about presenting concepts and ideas. “It was the first time where instead of printing work up, we could present our screens, our thoughts,” she says. “ I realized I could present ideas.”
Since then, Taye’s been a creative powerhouse — using her creative talents to tell stories about elements of the Black diaspora that preserve integrity and showcase its many sides. She created the Instagram platform Broke But Make It Bougie to help women that might be afraid to chase their dreams and explore the world while struggling with adulting find community. And last, but of course, not least, she led for Meta’s We The Culture program centered around elevating Black Creatives and culture.
Forever ideating, frequently traveling, and learning new things about herself and the wide world around her, Taye continues to grow as a creative and tell stories unique to her experience — in the process, ensuring that those with similar stories feel seen.
Here’s Taye on making a Migos-inspired card game, finding inspiration in Brazil, what her dream project to work on would be, and more.
What was your “I want to be an art director” moment? Could you walk me through it?
When I was in school, I picked a creative major because the concept of thinking and bringing big ideas to real life really intrigued me. Back in high school, I watched a documentary about Vogue staffers making the magazine’s September issue and I learned what creative and art directors were. I started doing my research.
My dad drove taxis when I was growing up. One of his frequent clients was this guy who worked in advertising. He invited me on a tour of the agency he worked at, and I realized that being an art director felt like the only thing that I could see myself doing creatively.
In college, I came to realize that I really loved concepting — especially after getting a taste of what the world was like when I studied abroad. I was working at a school magazine too — wearing every hat you could think of (editor, designer, etc.) while just building up my creative skills.
So, a combination of all these things drove me to become one.
Looking back at when you started off, what’s the biggest difference in what the role actually is versus what you thought it was?
So when I first started really studying the role, you know, I thought you really had to draw to become an art director — but eventually found out there are people that don’t draw. Some people are awesome graphic designers, great at moodboarding, just coming from different backgrounds.
When I started in college, it didn't really click until my senior year that art direction is what I’m good at and what I wanted to focus on. I learned that I was really great at pulling references from things I see in culture and just want to create. To this day, I pride myself on how I can create things culturally relevant. It also helps that I’m on the borders of both millennial and Gen Z ages. I can combine and concept things that feel fresh to everyone.
One thing I’ve noticed that you’re big on is traveling and seeing the world. How do you feel that these experiences have shaped your approach to creative?
Honestly, I think my life-changing travel experience was when I studied abroad in Italy. Before that, being at my program at Syracuse, it was really tough because I think I was operating from a scarcity mindset because it was a really expensive program. I didn’t come from that much, didn’t have a lot of money growing up. Each week when it came to presentations for my classes, I had to spend money just to print my work. I had a work study job to help pay for everything.
The idea of having to pay for work, to pay for creating, prevented me from thinking big because I thought, “I can’t do it.” I won’t be able to produce what I want because I don’t have enough money to buy the supplies, shape things, and get them from the page to real life. When I got accepted into the Florence Study Abroad program, everything changed. It was the first time where instead of printing work up, we could present our screens, our thoughts. I realized I could present ideas. We were tasked with creating products for the community and we went to actual design firms in Milan. I saw more examples of what it looked like creating for a brand when I got there.
I think it's because I grew up in Georgia, in the suburbs, where there's not that much exposure to design fronts like in New York. So when prompted with an ask of creating things, I was limited because I didn’t get to see many examples. When I started going to New York City more once I got to Syracuse, and then going to Italy, it just gave my mind more free time to concept on what I actually wanted to make. I started to create projects without much assistance from my professors. And then in my senior year, I finally started creating projects that were really close to my heart and that reflected my taste, culture, and interests. For instance, one of them was a card game inspired by the Migos that paid homage to growing up on the north side of Atlanta.
Italy trip aside, has there been another trip that's been very inspirational to you and your creative process?
I think as of recently I've been very, very intrigued by Brazil. It came from watching one music video, at the beginning of last year, and the production team was based there. They created this really beautiful, lovingly crafted story about natives falling in love. The coloring was gorgeous. I got to see black people in this beautiful location, and was stunned. I started to pay more attention to Brazilian content and made a plan to go there. Started listening to the music, learning more about the culture.
I finally went to Brazil, and it was beautiful. The clouds, the rain, the coloring, it felt like a mixture of Africa meets Europe. That was my first time being in South America. I’m still trying to figure it out in my mind, but it’s been super inspirational for other creative projects I’m working on. It shows up a lot in my illustrations. Seeing the ocean, digesting the cultural landscape, it was a beautiful experience. I still want to learn more and I plan on going back soon.
You’ve worked on so many cool projects for brands, and awesome personal work like the art that you create. What’s the most creatively fulfilling project that you’ve worked on so far?
That's a really good question. There are a few projects that have really sharpened my eye and changed the way I think and approach work. Then, there are other projects that I've worked on where they're really close to my heart and have been fulfilling for me.
One of my passion projects is Broke But Make It Bougie. That’s my baby. I’m planning on making a return for it. It was originally a platform that I made on Instagram to create a community to support women who were afraid of chasing after their dreams and struggling with adulting. I remember revisiting that and making a little short film, like three minutes. There's a book attached and there are a lot of beautiful images and I was able to collaborate with a lot of amazing people. I just wanted to encourage others and it feels like a constant lifestyle that I'm living.
What would you call this stage of your creative career?
I'm trying! I don’t have good words to explain it, but I’m trying. I’m maximizing my creative efforts, being a really good helper, and being committed to growing my craft. I’m sharpening my eyes, being vulnerable, connecting with people, and learning who I really admire and want to get critique from. I know the way that I want to grow.
There are still so many things that I want to do, and I’m a long way from where I want to be. But, I mean, that’s a really good problem to have. I’m really ambitious about a lot. I have new projects I’m working on for Broke But Make It Bougie. I just started another passion project that’s about traveling. It’s a trying period of putting myself out there again and trying to learn as much as I can.
Alright, so the last question I have for you is about your dream project. If you could work on anything next, what would it be?
Well, there are a couple things actually. I would love to be on an animation project where it's targeted towards black people. It would be about the diaspora and is trying to make the same type of cultural impact that Avatar: The Last Air Bender made on me. The other thing that I’d love to do is be a part of a storytelling series that involves a traveling brand where we get to make films about our journeys.
I am constantly inspired by Noahamin’s eye for creativity and heart-centered approach to work. She is a masterclass for what it means to be an art director.