T.J. West
About
About Tajare West
I’m a communications professional and mixed media producer who uses art and video to celebrate the history and culture of underrepresented communities.
I use strategic communication to preserve trust when people need it most.
My creative journey began when I traced the world in pencil, then it grew into a multidisciplinary practice when I discovered moving and speaking images through videography. This practice now spans digital art, photography, woodworking, engraving, and more. Each medium tells a story in its own language, and some of my favorite projects are the ones where those languages overlap. Through visual storytelling, I enjoy uncovering the details, perspectives, and histories that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Alongside my creative work, I bring a decade of experience in physical and logistical security and a degree in communications. This combination has given me a unique perspective on how information, trust, and decision-making function under pressure. It has also shaped my approach to crisis communications, where effective communication depends not only on what is said, but on what can be proven, documented, executed, and understood by the people affected.
I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in communications, and I draw from both professional experience and academic research to deepen my work in crisis communication strategy. I developed a crisis communications framework centered on four interconnected areas: evidence, documentation, logistics, and stakeholder management. While traditional crisis management models provide essential operational structure, my work focuses on the human-centered realities of crises as they unfold in real time. I am particularly interested in how organizations earn credibility, maintain transparency, and preserve trust when people are looking for answers and information is still unfolding.
Whether I am producing a documentary, preserving cultural history through media, or analyzing crisis communication through examples drawn from pop culture and real-world events, my goal remains the same: to create communication that is meaningful, strategic, and memorable.
To learn more about my crisis communications framework or discuss collaboration opportunities, connect with me on LinkedIn.