Taylor Linn
Taylor Linn
Founder / Curator, Cosmic Content
San Francisco, CA
www.taylorlinn.com
instagram @cosmic_cacti
pinterest
linkedin
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“By day I’m the Head of Marketing for a San Francisco startup, and by night, I’m a multimedia triple threat: a writer, a visual artist, and a photographer. ”
Most notably, I curate a pop culture newsletter called Cosmic Content. Every Monday morning, I send out the curated newsletter that includes a social account to follow, a Youtube video to watch, an article to read, a dance-worthy song, an inspirational quote, plus a bonus link of some sort. Every link is related to that week's latest trend or theme.
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
Creatively, there's a lot to unpack. I've been painting since before I could talk. My family deemed me the artistic sibling, and I was always gifted art sets and easels for my birthday and Christmas. In middle school, I got my first point-and-shoot camera, and I would make stop-motion films with my Barbie dolls.
As a Vanderbilt undergrad, I ended up changing my major dozens of times and finally settled on cinema studies and film production. Two of my films were shown at a film festival in Prague; they were always meant to be psychadelic and leave the viewers wondering what was real. One college summer by the beach I discovered my love of photography. There's nothing quite as thrilling as shooting on a disposable 35mm camera and waiting for the developed film to come back.
Career-wise I've had a bit of a winding path, and have corporate marketing experience in quite a few different industries: healthcare, food & beverage, retail, nonprofit education, fashion, the sharing industry, and fintech.
I'm a true multipotentialite who is just as interested in marketing automation as the best way to style mom jeans. My curiosity and desire to learn means I can talk about anything and go in-depth. I'm not trying to stay on the surface and skate over the subject. I often found myself scrolling on social media or in some newsletter perusing for the latest trends in modern pop culture, and was way too excited to discuss these things with friends. I know how to write and utilize email marketing and social media from my day job, so I decided to start Cosmic Content to share some of my thoughts and findings as a student of the internet.
How do you stand out in your field?
I stand out in my field by only taking on projects that feel fun and not like "work work." If it's not something I'm excited about and align with, I can tell in my soul, and I will decline that project.Aside from my excitement about Cosmic Content, I have a few other select projects, including hosting tourists for personal thrift shopping sessions and photoshoots in San Francisco. It makes a difference for a visitor to the city to see that someone is enthusiastic about what they're doing and wants to socialize with new people.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
I'm working on expanding the Cosmic Content newsletter to other channels. I just created our dedicated Instagram page, and we now have a Spotify playlist for all Cosmic Content song recommendations. For almost a year I had a dream of starting a Cosmic Content TV Youtube channel, which I am working towards now. It's coming soon!
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
I enjoy a balance of smooth, dreamy, washed-out vibes and jolting, rainbow, psychedelic vibes. My Borderless photo series of overlapping textures and colors best illustrates this, but you can even see some hints of this in my personal branding on my website and the Cosmic Content brand logo.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
I would love to focus on the fashion industry and write more often about fashion trends and styles. I am planning on attending San Francisco Fashion Week this fall, to meet other women involved in the industry.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
Over the past year or so, all of my close photographer friends have left the city one by one. I miss collaborating on films, photoshoots, and interviews with them all. I hope to become friends with more creatives this year.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
Gosh, it would be amazing to have someone to assist with shooting and editing for my Youtube channel that I'm working on!
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
I would tell 16-year-old Taylor that the only path to happiness is by focusing more on my goals and what I want to accomplish, and less on what others are doing.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
I would love to interview Tyler Haney, the founder of Outdoor Voices, and learn more about her visual brand inspirations and how she initially started the business back in its bootstrapping days.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
I would love to write about fashion or pop culture trends, or contribute some of my still life photography, for digital or print publications.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
My ideal client would be similar to Refinery29 or Dazed Magazine. I would be way too excited to have some freedom in my pitching, storytelling, and visual themes, but also feel that I naturally align with the brand and would want to read their publication.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Email me at hello@taylorlinn.com
It would be helpful to send a piece of content, in any form, you’ve recently seen that stuck with you.
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Reflection & Refraction.
This member profile was originally published in September 2020.