about the artist

Hello. My Name Is…

Hello. My Name Is…

Tawanna Shantelle, but my dad calls me Frank, because who needs logic, right?

First of all, thank you for taking the time to click the About link. I hope you enjoy your stay here and connect with me via socials or email. If not, thank you anyway!

Tawanna Shantelle, but my dad calls me Frank, because who needs logic, right?

Dad and Frank

family photograph

First of all, thank you for taking the time to click the About link. I hope you enjoy your stay here and connect with me via socials or email. If not, thank you anyway!

I’m what you’d call a multipotentialite: my work spans graphic design, education, video production, and writing, with a little dose of clean humor. This is my official website. It functions like a hub to connect all my online presences. I understand it's a lot of text and I put some work into creating my little corner over here but if it's too much here's the TL; DR version for you:

TL;DR

I’ve curated pixels for over two decades in graphic design and education, written and designed three books, and jumped into video production. Here’s my portfolio and my LinkedIn.

If you have time to read, the extended version is below.

Dad and Frank

family photograph

FEATURED IN

CanvasRebel

Bold Journey

Chapter I

Graphic Design

Among the Columns

Photograph

Make It Worth Keeping

Make It Worth Keeping

My design philosophy traces back to a story a graphic design instructor once told me. His firm designed promotional pieces for an event, and they became so coveted that people thought they were actual artwork and started taking them home. Basically, the design was so good people were ripping it off. A problem for event advertising, sure, but a high compliment for the designers.

My design philosophy traces back to a story a graphic design instructor once told me. His firm designed promotional pieces for an event, and they became so coveted that people thought they were actual artwork and started taking them home. Basically, the design was so good people were ripping it off. A problem for event advertising, sure, but a high compliment for the designers.

That became my goal: create pieces that captivate people so much they want to keep them. So when I heard that people were collecting my sermon marketing pieces, I thought, mission accomplished. It still drives me every time I design.

That became my goal: create pieces that captivate people so much they want to keep them. So when I heard that people were collecting my sermon marketing pieces, I thought, mission accomplished. It still drives me every time I design.

Being trusted to create someone's visual representation is a privilege, so my aim is to make the best piece of art I can for every project. That starts with listening: what the client needs, what the project really is, their preferences, their budget, and their goals. Once I understand all of that, I get to work. I try to knock it out of the park in the first round, because who wants to prolong a project? If I don't get it the first time, we look again at what they want and try it again, until we get it right.

My portfolio covers print, digital, and video. I specialize in curriculum and educational materials, book covers and layouts, logos, promotional materials, product labels, websites, and digital video. I'm always glad to take on new formats and subjects. Learning is an amazing thing, and I'm always willing to build new skills.

Twenty-eight years in, I still get excited about creativity and learning. I work in Adobe Creative Suite, CapCut, Canva, and whatever software handles the job. I love my MacBook Pro, but I also love good old paper and pen. The art of sketching out a design and writing out ideas isn't lost on me.

I've taught kids to read, taught every K-5 subject, and taught graphic design, typography, and layout online. I also adventured into teaching photography to teens. Watching a student suddenly grasp what they were trying to understand is one of my favorite parts of teaching. Sharing my craft is just as rewarding to me as practicing it. I believe we're meant to bless others with the skills we have, and I'd like to share mine with the world.

Being trusted to create someone's visual representation is a privilege, so my aim is to make the best piece of art I can for every project. That starts with listening: what the client needs, what the project really is, their preferences, their budget, and their goals. Once I understand all of that, I get to work. I try to knock it out of the park in the first round, because who wants to prolong a project? If I don't get it the first time, we look again at what they want and try it again, until we get it right.

My portfolio covers print, digital, and video. I specialize in curriculum and educational materials, book covers and layouts, logos, promotional materials, product labels, websites, and digital video. I'm always glad to take on new formats and subjects. Learning is an amazing thing, and I'm always willing to build new skills.

Twenty-eight years in, I still get excited about creativity and learning. I work in Adobe Creative Suite, CapCut, Canva, and whatever software handles the job. I love my MacBook Pro, but I also love good old paper and pen. The art of sketching out a design and writing out ideas isn't lost on me.

I've taught kids to read, taught every K-5 subject, and taught graphic design, typography, and layout online. I also adventured into teaching photography to teens. Watching a student suddenly grasp what they were trying to understand is one of my favorite parts of teaching. Sharing my craft is just as rewarding to me as practicing it. I believe we're meant to bless others with the skills we have, and I'd like to share mine with the world.

Bachelor’s in Graphic Design · Photography & Art History

Among the Columns

Photograph

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Education Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

Education Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

I use my Master’s in Elementary Education and my Bachelor’s in Graphic Design to bring smiles and spark curiosity in young minds. Learning at any level doesn’t have to be boring, so I encourage, inspire, and add a bit of fun to whatever I’m teaching.

I use my Master’s in Elementary Education and my Bachelor’s in Graphic Design to bring smiles and spark curiosity in young minds. Learning at any level doesn’t have to be boring, so I encourage, inspire, and add a bit of fun to whatever I’m teaching.

My journey started in the early 2000s, when I lacked the resources (and the funds) to teach my own kids. Being a problem solver, I made my own: books, flashcards, word lists, worksheets, you name it. It turned out to be quite the adventure for us.

My journey started in the early 2000s, when I lacked the resources (and the funds) to teach my own kids. Being a problem solver, I made my own: books, flashcards, word lists, worksheets, you name it. It turned out to be quite the adventure for us.

Along the way, I created my own typography, Photoshop, and graphic design curriculum and found myself on the frontier of online education, back when it was still the wild west. In 2003, Universal Class named me an Exceptional Online Educator. I went on to teach for several years at Eclectic Academy, plus in-person photography classes for teens. Twenty-five years in, I’m still teaching, now through educational resources and videos on social-emotional topics.

Along the way, I created my own typography, Photoshop, and graphic design curriculum and found myself on the frontier of online education, back when it was still the wild west. In 2003, Universal Class named me an Exceptional Online Educator. I went on to teach for several years at Eclectic Academy, plus in-person photography classes for teens. Twenty-five years in, I’m still teaching, now through educational resources and videos on social-emotional topics.

Master’s in Elementary Education · Exceptional Online Educator, 2003 · Frankly That’s Brilliant

Chapter II

Education

Where It Started

Photograph

Teaching with worksheets I designed myself.

Where It Started

Photograph

Teaching with worksheets I designed myself.

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Chapter III

Author

Who Says Designers Can't Write?

Who Says Designers Can't Write?

Becoming an author was a dream of mine for years. My first book started as an idea for a downloadable gratitude curriculum, but once I started writing, I had much more to say. So instead of another PDF, I decided it was time to be brave and write a book.

Becoming an author was a dream of mine for years. My first book started as an idea for a downloadable gratitude curriculum, but once I started writing, I had much more to say. So instead of another PDF, I decided it was time to be brave and write a book.

In 2022, I published 30 Day Gratitude Journal: 30 Days of Celebrating Your Big and Small Moments. I had designed covers and layouts for other authors and watched them celebrate their books. Now I was part of that circle, and it felt great.

In 2022, I published 30 Day Gratitude Journal: 30 Days of Celebrating Your Big and Small Moments. I had designed covers and layouts for other authors and watched them celebrate their books. Now I was part of that circle, and it felt great.

Then I wrote two more with my kids: journals that help families get to know each other better and have fun doing it. I see gratitude and human connection as powerful assets in any relationship.

Then I wrote two more with my kids: journals that help families get to know each other better and have fun doing it. I see gratitude and human connection as powerful assets in any relationship.

See the books →

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“Mom, We Want a YouTube Channel.”

In 2020, my daughters, about 10 and 8 at the time, came to me with that exact sentence. My protective mom brain immediately started listing everything that could go wrong. So instead of a firm no, I said, well, maybe. I listened to their ideas and gave them my requirements for adventures on "The YouTube."

The big one: give your viewers something to walk away with. "Yes, you are cute, but that's not enough. You have to give people something worth spending their time with you." So, edutainment it was.

That's how Bear and Bee Productions, our family production company, was born, and how Talky Talk Show began in our living room. I write the scripts, direct, and design the graphics, turning our brainstorms into visual experiences for young audiences. The series now has fifteen episodes and ten shorts, and its episode What Are Emotions? has earned 28 recognitions at 25 film festivals worldwide.

Bear and Bee Productions · talkytalkshow.com · IMDb

Chapter IV

Video Production

Episode 14: Emotions

Talky Talk Show · Thumbnail design

From the award-winning episode What Are Emotions?

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Chapter V

Administration

The Oz of Administrative

The Oz of Administrative

Beyond my creative shenanigans, I've gained extensive administrative experience as a POCA, a parent of child actors, managing my kids' entertainment careers. Think of me as the maestro behind the curtain.

Beyond my creative shenanigans, I've gained extensive administrative experience as a POCA, a parent of child actors, managing my kids' entertainment careers. Think of me as the maestro behind the curtain.

I coordinate auditions, keep the schedules, promote their work, and film self-tapes to casting specifications, with the occasional bout of industry drama and plenty of turns as their personal paparazzi. This wild ride has given me an inside look at the entertainment world, taught me to value the many talented people who make it run, and let me apply my creative and organizational skills in new ways, all while working remotely.

I coordinate auditions, keep the schedules, promote their work, and film self-tapes to casting specifications, with the occasional bout of industry drama and plenty of turns as their personal paparazzi. This wild ride has given me an inside look at the entertainment world, taught me to value the many talented people who make it run, and let me apply my creative and organizational skills in new ways, all while working remotely.

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Chapter VI

Ask the Artist

Visitor Questions

A few things people ask me, and a few I wish they would.

The Practical

How do you say your name, and which one should I use?

Frank. Just kidding. It’s Tah-wah-nah Shan-tell, and please use Tawanna Shantelle.

What do you love speaking about?

Humans being human. I love deep conversations about life, human behavior, faith, culture, art, and education, along with fascinating facts about how the human body works. Give me the details and I’m happy.

What tools do you design and edit with?

I’m an Adobe Creative Suite kind of girl: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and Premiere Rush, all on the MacBook Pro I love. I reach for Canva for quick things and CapCut for social media edits.

How did a family YouTube channel become an award-winning film?

I made an episode I was a little proud of. Then I watched a friend enter their very short film in a festival and thought, you know what? Let me try. I had more than a few videos to choose from, so I worked up the nerve and entered. The nerve of me!

The Fun

What color is your name?

Yellow and brown, mostly because of the W, although some days W feels blue. I have a mild form of synesthesia, so letters, numbers, and shapes come with colors, feelings, and personalities. Circles are warm, comfortable, and fun. Squares are honest. Rectangles stretch the truth. Trapezoids are strong gym rats. Triangles are cold, icy jokesters, and you can’t trust them. I could go on, but you get the point. And no, we don’t see imaginary things.

If your life were an exhibition, what would the first room be?

A beautiful, comfortable space where you can relax and let your guard down, because we have to rest up for the adventure ahead.

What’s on your desk right now?

Sticky notes, clear and rose gold organizers, a phone holder, papers, and probably a few random things I set there while cleaning up.

Which place in the world feels most like you?

Mykonos. I loved it there. It’s where those photos of me in the blue Greek dress were taken.

What’s the best thing a kid ever said about What Are Emotions?

They loved the bloopers. Same kid, Same!

What does a perfect creative day look like?

No one is counting my coffee intake, and I spend the whole day living out my ideas. Paint this, draw that, create a new product, encourage someone, and edit a video to the perfect music. Salmon for dinner, dessert after, and it’s 85 degrees with a nice breeze and the windows open.

One Last Question

If you had one message for the world, what would it be?

You are worthy. You were born with worth, and no one can take it away. You have a purpose in this life, and your gifts are not small or meant to be hidden. They are meant to be shared.

And learning is not linear. No one is smart in every area, and we don’t even know all the areas of knowledge in the universe. Where you excel, someone else may not, and where they excel, you may not. That’s because we need one another. We were created to love and help one another. There’s no competition in knowledge or skill, because comparing unique people was never a fair comparison.

So do you. You’re the only one who can.

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Mom, Wife, Lifelong Learner

From vibrant designs to learning resources to video production, my creative pursuits have evolved over time, kind of like my nicknames. I do a lot of things I genuinely enjoy, but most of all, I’m a proud mom, wife, and lifelong learner.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for reading. I appreciate your time. Leave me a note to say hi!

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TawannaShantelle.com