Howdy, and welcome. You’ve stumbled onto my little corner of the wild web. If you’re so inclined, stick around, soak up the chaos, and maybe even enjoy the ride.

For those curious, The Texas Native exists for a pretty simple reason: I wanted a place to create freely, share what interests me, and not be pinned down to one lane. Some of it I put way too much thought into. Most of it is random. Some of it I like to think is semi-controlled anarchy dressed up to look professional.

There’s no grand plan here, and that’s very intentional. A lot of what I create and share ties back to my background, my interests, and the things I know best, but I have absolutely no interest in boxing this project in. This is my outlet, and a much needed one. It is a place for stories, photographs, ideas, and whatever else feels worth chasing and rambling on about.

More than anything, this project keeps me creating. It keeps me honest and it really helps to keep me pushing myself to raise the bar, even when I’m harder on myself than I should be. The rest is just curiosity, a little boredom, and a creative compass that sometimes feels suspiciously close to a Magic 8-Ball.

Oh, gosh. If you’re reading this, you either made it through the Texas Native section above and enjoyed it, or you skipped ahead hoping my personal bio would be the more thrilling read. Bold strategy.

My adult job lives well outside the creative world, so photography and storytelling are mostly the things I do because I want to, not because I have to. They’re the escape. When time allows, I pour that energy into personal projects like this website, and every now and then I work with a small number of clients who actually make me want to create. Of course, that all works a lot better when I remember to charge my camera battery and renew my Office365 subscription.

Texas is home. I was born here, I’ve spent most of my life here, and while I’ve lived elsewhere, this still feels like the place that fits best. More specifically, I’m pretty partial to the Texas Hill Country, which probably won’t surprise anyone who has spent more than five minutes on this site.

I like good conversation, new ideas, and meeting new people, generally speaking. I also drink an unreasonable amount of coffee and operate under the completely unscientific belief that caffeine is responsible for at least a few of my better ideas. Unfortunately, it has also played a role in plenty of half-baked ones too. My sense of humor tends to run a little dark, which is not for everybody, but neither am I.

I’m not famous, nor am I trying to be. My barbecue is good enough to earn a little backyard respect, and my life has mostly been a mix of ordinary days, semi-interesting moments, and entirely too much paperwork.

I don’t take myself too seriously, which is probably obvious by now. Writing about myself has never ranked very high on my list of favorite activities, but apparently that still wasn’t enough to stop me from making an About Me page.

Like the rest of this site, this blurb is a work in progress. It may evolve when inspiration strikes, or when I get bored and start messing with it again. Either way, here it is.

— Tyler

EDITORIAL WORK
The Associated Press, Alliance Wakeboard Magazine, Wakeboard Magazine, WakeWorld, Motorcycle Industry Magazine, ATV Industry Magazine, Racer X Illustrated, Holeshot Magazine, San Marcos Daily Record, Austin American Statesmen, Action Sports Journal, Study Breaks Magazine, Pineapple Grenade, Wake Journal

ADDITIONAL WORK
Clear Channel, Live Nation, Feld Motorsports, Sea World Adventure Parks, Alpinestars, Texas Ski Ranch, Lexus (US), Yamaha Motor Corporation, Hyperlite, Team Faith, Monster Energy, Mastercraft, Fox Riders Co., ten-80, O'Brien, KTM USA, Helium, University Of Texas, Under360, RedBull, Puma, Liquid Force, Cable Wake Parks, DC Shoes, Supercross Series, Arenacross Series, Shift Mx, Texas Renegade, Kent Powersports, VRM Web, OWC, CableWakeBoard, BlueBonnet Motors, Big Machine, IMBOC, Texas State University, Team Babbitt's, Moose Racing, Commercial Truck Trader, Jordan Ford LTD, US NAVY, Texas Military Department, 149th Fighter Wing, Texas Air National Guard, Gather Brewing Company & more…