1. Give us a personal background on yourself? (Where are you from, where do you reside, what’s your preferred medium? Are you a cat or dog person? We want to know!)

My name is Francesca AKA Franny Tings I was born in Hoboken New Jersey and moved to Miami when I was 7 years old. I do a lot of tings such as photography, art direction, podcasting, video editing, and more hence my nickname “Franny Tings” but my preferred medium would be overall creative direction. I am not a pet person in general and it’s because I never had a pet or dog so I don’t really understand that excitement when people see a dog… as sad as that sounds.

2. How did you first start your journey towards becoming an artist?

I started my journey as a creator when I was 12 years old making short films and music videos using my dad’s camera phone and editing them on the windows movie maker.

My dad owned a store called “Jersey Jeans’ ‘ and during the summer I would go to work with him everyday since my parents couldn’t afford summer camp at the time so I had to find a way to distract myself for 12 hours out of the day. My outlet was watching youtube videos of kids my age recreating music videos or creating short films so I figured to make some of my own. At the age of 19 I was very lost and indecisive of what I wanted to study in college and I had to think back to a time where I felt genuinely happy doing a hobby which to me was editing and creating those music videos. I then studied film and have been in the creative industry ever since.

3. When was the first time you really saw yourself as an artist?

I really saw myself as an artist when one of my photoshoots was featured on the front page of Mobjournal. I feel like at this moment I knew I was heading in the right direction and my work was finally speaking for itself. Since then, my work has been published in 2 more magazines which keeps me motivated and challenged.

4. What do you think new artists struggle with the most nowadays?

The struggle new artists deal with nowadays is a way of standing out in the crowd. Right now social media is a very powerful tool for Creators however, since the algorithms are always changing, we are constantly having to find new ways to stay relevant.

5. How did you learn how to set a price on your art/craft?

I myself am still struggling with this because sometimes I tend to compare myself with other creators and start doubting myself if my prices are too high or too low. However, something that sets me apart from many creators is I learned every position to get to where I am today. I have been a model, photographer, videographer, art director, producer, stylist, director, and production assistant. Therefore, my pricing doesn’t just include a cute picture yet an overall experience on how we can make this picture go from 0-100 with art direction, lighting, and poses.

6. What has been your favorite piece that you’ve created?

My favorite piece thus far has definitely been my photo series called “Geometric Energy”. It has been my favorite piece because of how challenging it was for me. The reason why it was so challenging is because there were so many factors that were “cockblocking” the creative process such as car space, time, and nature. I ended up investing in a uhaul, painting giant pieces of drywall and triple checking the weather every hour of the day. I pushed myself to my limits and the final results were 100% worth it.

7. Who’s one of your biggest sources of inspiration right now?

My biggest inspiration right now has to be Tyler the Creator because he creates based on feelings versus surface level factors. His style is very much vibrant with his music/fashion/ and stage sets. I relate to the way he expresses himself which makes me feel connected to his art forms. One of my main goals is to creative direct a photoshoot for his album or fashion line.

8. If you could pick one of your pieces to represent you as a person, which one would it be and why?

If I could pick one of my pieces to represent myself as a person it would be “PACKING YOUR EGO” which was really fun to create because it was so colorful and I got to get hands on with art direction. I also got to work with a friend that now lives in Los Angeles styling for celebrities so it was really great to see how far he has come as an artist. Being able to work together with everything we learned was an overall great experience.

9. What has been your happiest moment as an artist?

My happiest moment as an artist was when a short film I art directed called “With His Eyes Closed” was chosen to be showcased at the L.A. Latino Film Festival last year. This was an extreme moment for me because honestly my mental health during the process of creating this film was at an all time low. I was going through a breakup and just recovered from having covid for a month so I used this film to test my creative capabilities. I would have never thought that I could do something this big of a caliber and it just proved to myself that I can do anything if I just believe in myself and put in the work.

10. Have you ever made any mistakes in the industry that have taught you a valuable lesson?

I have made plenty of mistakes that have taught me many valuable lessons. I make mistakes everyday and the best part is learning from them. The most memorable lesson I have learned is to make sure you are very clear when stating how much time/effort/ and energy you are investing in a client or project. Sometimes people can take advantage of you as an artist which leaves you in an uncomfortable position. I learned the best way to avoid that awkward situation is to state all your boundaries from the beginning of the process.

11. If you were a dessert, what dessert would you be and why?

If I was a dessert I would be a cookie. I LOVE cookies so much which means I would love myself and that’s #1 for having a great relationship with the world around you.

12. What kind of music do you like to listen to when you work?

I have a weird habit of listening to the same album every time I am editing pictures. The album is “Endless” by Frank Ocean. I think my mind automatically associates the album with work so I’m able to focus so much better when it’s playing in the background.

13. What’s your least favorite trend at the moment?

My least favorite trend is the unrealistic “attractive image” social media has created for women. I always have to remind myself that social media is fake and most of the body types you see are either altered or edited in post production.

14. If you could design a home out of literally any material, what would your house be made out of?

My house would be made out of windows because I loveeeee nature and being outdoors lets me disconnect from day to day life. It makes me feel like my problems are so small compared to the grand scheme of the world that we’re living in.

15. If you could leave us with one thought, what would it be?

If I could leave you with one thought it would be to get out of your own way. We are not our overthinking or negative thoughts. They are simply that; thoughts. So next time you are doubting yourself say aloud “Get out of my way bitch” and let yourself shine!