Meet Talya Adams | Writer, Content Creator & Photographer

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

Hi Talya, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
When it comes to whether to keep going or give up, I tend to ask myself these three questions: 1. Does it serve my purpose to keep going? 2. Does it harm my overall well being to keep going? 3. Does it bring value to my life to keep going? I was brought up playing competitive sports during my most formative years. So, my will to compete and give myself a chance to reach my goals is deeply ingrained in who I am as a person. If there’s a fire in my heart to acquire something, then I truly feel it’s mine to have. All this to say, giving up is a big deal for me because I’m conditioned to persevere. However, anytime I’ve chosen to give up, one if not all three questions listed has played a major part in my decision to walk away from an endeavor, a relationship, or job opportunity. If you’re honest with yourself and answer ‘no’ to any of the proposed three questions, then you must be strong enough to walk away. Because contrary to popular belief, quitting is difficult; especially when it’s something you care about. I’ve found it easier to make excuses and continue putting effort in a direction I’ve grown familiar with. It’s much scarier to start over and head in a new direction as the unknown can look like a black hole at first sight. Life is short, but it is also long. The last thing you want is to waste time and energy doing things which don’t serve your purpose, cause you harm, or doesn’t bring value to your life. It took a few failures and hard knocks before I truly bought into this way of thinking, but once I did life became easier to navigate.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a storyteller through and through. No matter the medium, I always strive to tell compelling and concise stories. I started out writing and producing web shows, moved on to writing photographic photo stories, and currently I’m creating original content on my YouTube channel as a film photography enthusiast spreading the love. Through all of it, I’ve continued to write in more traditional ways including work on my debut novel, and screenplays as fiction is where my journey began. I’d like to think I offer authenticity and perspective to my projects and never waiver on remaining to my voice. I still feel like I have a lot of work to do in order to reach my goals and I’m prepared for the long journey ahead of me. I like many other creatives face challenges regularly as artistic lifestyles are not the norm. You have to have a heightened level of resilience and persistence to be fortunate enough to support yourself with your art alone, and that’s my goal.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My best friend isn’t much of a going out type of person, so the week would have to be based around food. There are many amazing places to eat in LA, and it’d be easy to plan some activities around where I took my friend to eat. Korean BBQ at Hae Jang Chon in Koreatown for dinner one night. A drive through the canyons in Malibu to El Matador Beach one day. My friend and I are both from Florida, so mountains always trip us out. I’d plan a tea time at Chado Tea in Little Tokyo as we’re both tea lovers. I’d suffer through a day trip to Hollywood because everyone from out of town always asks to go there. While in the neighborhood, I’d take her to Veggie Grill as there aren’t many vegan restaurants where we’re from. The Boiling Crab in Koreatown, as it’s the best location food wise in the chain. For brunch, we’d definitely go to The Smokehouse in Burbank. The best brunch I’ve had in the city, since I’ve lived here. Probably a drive through Beverly Hills because she’d want to see Rodeo Drive and some mansions. For shopping purposes I’d say Santee Alley for the experience, The Grove, and Melrose Trading Post on Sunday after brunch for some thrifting. I’d have to throw in some museums to slow the pace. The Broad and The Museum of Contemporary Art since they’re near each other. I’m tired just thinking about this itinerary.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve always maintained that my success has been built upon the shoulders of those who’ve taken the time to share their wisdom and insights with me. With that in mind, I’d give thanks to my mom, Brenda Patrick, for more than telling me I could become and do anything I put my mind to, but for also making me believe it. Having someone in my corner from an early was vital to my development into adulthood. Second, I’ve been a benefactor of some grade A mentorship through the years. I’d like to thank Lynne Boyarsky and Adam Finer for always taking meetings, answering questions, advising, and reading my works. Your encouragement and presence has meant more than you’ll ever know.

Instagram: @talya_adams (main), @thenarrativenook (original works of photo stories)
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfAX4_fdm43RZsocFY05IiQ
Other: https://medium.com/@tnnphotog

Image Credits
Photo 2 Ethan Williams Photo 5 Amira & Josh Photo 6 Maurice Miller