Taylor Weitzel

I encountered the subject of this interview with no intention at first to include her in this blog. I was given an English assignment to interview random strangers and see why a particular place was important to them; and why they were there at that particular moment. I decided to go off-campus, since it’d give me a chance to actually go into the town of Indiana.

With one of my friends tagging along, I walked over to one of my favorite places off-campus. If you don’t already know, there’s a nice little coffee shop on Philadelphia Street known as the Artists Hand Gallery and Espresso Bar. Not only is it a place for coffee hounds such as myself- but also a place where one can see and even purchase artwork made by local artists in the area- including paintings, pottery, photographs, among others.

I walked over to the shop and ordered an Irish Crème Latte. As the one barista prepared it, I asked if any of them would be willing to sit down with me so I could interview them for my project. The subject of this interview kindly agreed.

Once we had taken our seats at one of the tables, I asked her:

“What is your name?”

“Taylor Weitzel,” she told me. “I came to town as a college student until last semester. I decided to take some time off after I got offered full-time hours here. I’m trying to figure out where I’m going from here.”

Not even a few seconds in and my curiosity had already been snared. “What year are you at?”

“I am a sophomore. I’m a non-traditional student in that I decided to wait a couple of years before going to school. I do plan on finishing even though I’m taking a break for now.”

“When did you start school?”

“I had just turned twenty when I started coming to school.”

“Why did you decide to wait?”

“I didn't really know exactly what I was going to school for,” Taylor told me. “I thought it was absolutely ridiculous to take out loans for housing if I didn't know exactly what I was going to do. So 

I traveled and even followed some bands around. I did my own thing and saw how the real world works, and try to find myself.”

“Did you know what major you wanted to go into when you did decide to go to school?”

“Yes. When I sat down and thought about it, I remembered my favorite and the easiest subject for me was Spanish. I had really bad teachers when I was in high school. I love learning, but I hated school. I wanted to be that kind of teacher who could inspire a student like me to go on to college. I realized learning is really important, so I thought education would be the perfect route for me.”

“Why did you decide on I.U.P.?”

“It was only half-hour from my house. I had been accepted here when I had applied when I was in high school. I figured I could get in pretty easily. All of my friends also went here, so I thought it’d be a pretty easy transition for my first couple years in my college education.”

After touching base with her, I decided to ask her about her relationship with her work. “How did you start working here at the Artists Hand?”

“I was working a crappy retail job and I had to go home every weekend. I was extremely unhappy, I decided I needed a job here in Indiana so I could work more often. I went up and down Philly Street to look for something I would like. This place stuck out to me, and I came in to fill out the application. It was very cool. I was asked what type of coffee I liked and to draw a self-portrait. I thought that extremely interesting. Once I came in this place- I didn't care if I got a call-back from any place else. Luckily enough, they did need someone when I came in, and they gave me the job.”

“Nice,” I complimented. “Were you a frequent customer to the Artist Hand before you applied?”

“I was not actually! The first time I came in was when I put in my application.” She chuckled as she continued. “I wasted a year at getting really crappy coffee at Java City and doing work in the library when I could have been here. If I didn't work here, and did know about it, I’d be here all the time. It’s an amazing space. I don’t say that just because they pay my paychecks!”

“You said you fell in love with the cafe, what made you fall in love with it?”

“I think at first the staff for sure. I have the greatest bosses on the planet and two incredible fellow baristas. I felt super-welcomed here. I had no idea what I was doing, and they didn't judge me and they weren’t rude at all. They just showed me the way and let me go. After two weeks of training they let me work alone and that really helped. Then obviously I’m surrounded by art and incredible thoughtful people. It was such a change from selling shoes and working with awful people. The clientele here are incredible. Also, what made me fall in love with it was I get to make coffee but I can hang and sell artwork and pot plants. No crazy day is the same and I really like that. It definitely fits with my personality.”

“Would you say that this place would hold a place in your heart?”

“Oh yeah! Absolutely. It definitely changed my life and the course of my life. I hope to be here as long as I can and I hope I can contribute as much as I can. I really don’t see a life outside of coffee now. I hope to be involved with coffee for a very long time.”

“Do you plan on going away from Indiana in the future?” I asked her.

“Yes. I don’t plan on being here forever. This is a great stepping stone, but I will not be in Indiana for the rest of my life. I can say that with almost certainty. This place though will always be extremely special for me.”

“When you do leave Indiana, do you still plan on working at coffee shops in the future?”

“Yeah, I do,” Taylor told me. “I will probably have to work a part-time job until I graduate. That won’t be for a while. My first pick would be as a barista. Hopefully it’ll be at a small community one rather than a Starbucks. These places give a lot to the community, I’m very proud of that aspect. It’s nice here. Until I got this job I never had one where I wasn't upset to wake up, and one where I wasn't bored. The time goes by here. I’m extremely lucky.”

“Even now?” I asked as I glanced around us. Aside for the other barista and one of my friends who came along with me, there wasn't anyone else. “This place is very slow now.”

“It tends to be in the mid-day,” she informed me. “Our mornings are usually pretty busy, and it usually also depends on our specials. Every day is different, but luckily there’s always something to do. Stock things, clean things, work on stuff in the gallery. There’s always something to do, it’s never super-boring even if it’s a little slower.”

“Just yesterday the Artists Hand just tried out some Monday hours,” I said. I then recounted to her that I had come in during them that day. “Did you work at any of those?”

“I didn't,” she told me. “I might be brought on for Mondays if it does become a frequent thing. I pretty much close the shop every single day. I am here a lot. I’m not totally sure if I’ll be brought on for Mondays- it might be a half-day thing. I’m always open to be here more.”

“If you guys were to hire and someone were to try and apply here, what would they have to do?” I asked her.

“Filling out the application is important. We want to see how much you enjoy coffee itself. We also want to see if you can manage the fact that this not just an art gallery or it’s not just an art gallery because there is so much more to this place. I would say that artistic talent isn't required at all. Being able to appreciate that and talk about that is though. We’re also like a family here and you just got to be able to mesh with us. If you’re really nice, honest, and hardworking and responsible and maybe a little cooky then yeah, you definitely have a place here.”

I realized that our interview was going for ten minutes, and decided that I probably had enough for my project. Plus I didn't want to take up any more of her time and distract her from her work. I drew our interview to a close and thanked her for letting me interview her. After some discussion about the picture, we decided she should stand behind the bar.

It was after taking her picture that it occurred me that I could possibly use her interview for not only my English project but also for Faces of I.U.P.

 “Would you care to let me use your picture and interview for my blog as well?” I asked her and then went on to explain that I was also the one who operated the Faces of I.U.P. blog.

“Oh sure!” she told me, her smile lighting up the bar. “By all means feel free!”

I thanked her again, and my friend and I left.

I would like to take this time now to thank Taylor again for letting me to not only interview her for my project- but also allowing me to use her interview and image for this blog. Her kindness is much appreciated. While I will probably be seeing her every now and then whenever I go in to the shop- I do want to wish her the best of luck as she pursues her passions- wherever life may take her.

I would like to apologize if this is shorter than you like, but be rest assured. Like I previously mentioned in the beginning, I hadn't intended on this to be a part of the Faces of I.U.P. blog. 

However, there are still plenty of faces to meet and get to know here at I.U.P. and in the community outside of it. As always, be sure to check back because there will always be more stories to unveil. Wherever you are and wherever you may be- stay safe and enjoy life. Like Taylor, don’t be afraid to explore and discover new things whether it be about yourself or the world around you.