Meet Yves Jeffcoat | Writer, Editor, Podcaster, & Yoga Teacher

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

Hi Yves, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Once I realized that I loved writing and could make it a career, I never imagined doing anything else. That’s not because I believed that I couldn’t do anything else or because I didn’t enjoy other fields. When I was old enough to really start thinking about a career, I was convinced that I’d be miserable and unfulfilled if I chose to dedicate many hours of my life to anything that wasn’t arts-related. I was laser-focused on becoming a capital-W “Writer” and inclined toward the art from a young age, but I did have moments of doubt in which I questioned whether I was being pragmatic enough. Fortunately, I realized that doubt was born of societal and some interpersonal pressure, as well as a fear of failure. And when I was being honest with myself, I knew that writing and making art were things that I felt the most aligned and whole doing. They brought me joy. And I wanted to learn more about them, get better at them, and share what I created with others. I realized later that those contributions could be impactful. I’m grateful that I so easily found a path that excited me, that I could make a living from, and that could be meaningful and leave lasting impressions on people. It helped that I had mentors, teachers, and peers who supported my work and encouraged me to believe in my abilities. With that setup, I had to pursue writing, and I didn’t pause to consider what would happen if the payoffs didn’t pan out like my 11-year-old self thought they would. My love for writing and what words can do were the bait that lured me into this career, and they’re the forces that keep me in it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It’s really easy to get caught up in what I should have accomplished, what I could have done differently, and whether the work I’m doing as an artist is worthwhile. It’s been an important process for me to question why I’m doing the work that I’m doing at every stage of change or growth in my career and pursuits without being judgmental or self-deprecating. Also, sometimes I get stuck in how I feel about the body of work that I am building and the resonance it will hold. I go through a lot of fluctuations with my writing and podcasting. There are times when it feels self-satisfying and others when it feels purposeful. Times when it feels lighthearted and others when it feels serious. Times when it feels uninspiring and others when it feels so right for the moment. And there are times when I feel like I’m holding back and others when I’m operating in truth. Creating work that I’m proud of—as fickle as what that entails might be—is important to me, but it’s not an easy thing to do. I’ve learned to take the ebbs and flows in stride. To move when I need to and to be still when I need to. (My yoga practice has helped me immensely in all parts of my life.) And to remind myself that my value is not the sum of the things I produce—I am a work in progress, and I hope that my art and offerings reflect that reality as a matter of human nature. A goal is to keep learning, ad infinitum. It’s also been helpful to find a balance between intuition and reasoning when making decisions about my art and my path. As a person who likes to plan and is unflinchingly optimistic about my future, I’ve also found it useful to be open to unexpected opportunities and things that may cause me discomfort. It’s important to pause to acknowledge and celebrate what I’ve achieved so far, and it’s exciting to know that I’m working toward even more harmony in thought, action, mission, and impact in my pursuits.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A big priority for me would be trails or parks in or near the city, like West Palisades or Sweetwater Creek State Park. We’d have to visit galleries and museums, like the High, Atlanta Contemporary, or Hammonds House. We’d go to readings or writing events, like Write Club. And for food or tea, places like Tassili’s Raw Reality and Jayida Ché. Plus Iwi Fresh for the r&r we’d need after all of the exploration.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d love to shout out all of my teachers who took the time to foster my love for learning, questioning, thinking critically, and experimenting. I’ve been fortunate to have many teachers who put a lot of effort into nurturing my passions and uplifting me. I think about this often, because I have so many fond memories of teachers doing things they didn’t have to do to encourage my educational growth and development. I recognized their support in those moments. But with age and hindsight, that support holds so much more weight. I didn’t have the consciousness to understand that the things my teachers did and said to push me forward not only made me a better student, but also made me a better person mentally, physically, and spiritually and has allowed me to interact with the world in a gentler and more thoughtful way. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their patience, their care, their encouragement to do things I would’ve never tried on my own, and their dedication to seeing and cultivating my potential and creativity. My gratitude extends to the teachers I’ve had outside of academia, as well. I’d be proud if I could return to the world even a modicum of what they’ve all given me.

Website: yvesjeffcoat.com

Instagram: instagram.com/notapologizing

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yves-jeffcoat-64091585/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yvesjeffcoat

Image Credits
Daru Ami Aurie Singletary