About Me

I'm Taylor Finney, a Mandarin-English linguist and artist living in Taipei, Taiwan.

Professional Background

After earning my Bachelor of Science in Apparel, Merchandising, and Design in 2013, I started my career as a product developer working in the fashion industry in Los Angeles, California. During company trips, I received my first exposures to East Asian languages and cultures. Those trips planted seeds of curiosity that continued to grow.

In 2018, I relocated to Taipei, Taiwan to study Traditional Chinese, completing two years of intensive language education. I went on to graduate from National Taiwan Normal University's Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation in 2023 with a Master of Arts in Translation and Interpretation Studies. I have translated for mobile game distributors and localization studios and contributed to well-known game franchises, including James Cameron's Avatar, Street Fighter, Age of Empires, and Don't Starve.

Today

I work as a full-time translator and editor for a media company in Taipei, where I contribute to original Taiwanese documentary, culture, culinary, and lifestyle programs for YouTube and broadcast television.

In 2024, I edited Taste of Life, a six-part documentary series about culinary culture in Taiwan, which won a Bronze Tower at the 2024 New York Festivals Television & Film Awards. In 2025, another culinary program I edited, Veggie Island, won Best Ethnic Lifestyle Series at the 16th Annual Taste Awards. I attribute my continued success and growth as a professional linguist to my natural curiosity, attentiveness to detail, strong communication skills, and relentless pursuit of knowledge.

I value peace, tranquility, and solitude, which I cultivate through a daily yoga practice. In my free time, I enjoy reading, learning, and creating in a variety of media.