This week I'm absolutely delighted to share my conversation with Tara Leaver, an artist and educator whose journey back to creativity after depression is both inspiring and deeply relatable.

Tara and I first connected back in 2016, and what I've always loved about her approach is how she teaches the often-overlooked elements surrounding art-making - the mindset work, the process development, and crucially, how to find your own artistic voice rather than simply copying your teachers.

In this episode, we dive deep into Tara's fascinating dual practice of making sea-inspired paintings in Cornwall whilst simultaneously supporting other creatives through courses and mentorship. She's refreshingly honest about the challenges of context switching between these two sides of her work.

What really captivates me is how Tara translates her sensory experiences of swimming in the cold Cornish sea into her paintings. Her process is a beautiful marriage of visual reference and sensory memory. We also unpack her concept of the "Happy Artist" - which isn't about perpetual joy, but rather about being an artist within the full context of human life.

As Tara puts it, we're not creating in bubbles; we're artists with lives that happen outside the studio, and acknowledging that context is crucial for sustainable creative practice.

✍ Read the full show notes here: https://zuzushausofcats.com/journal/ep9-tara-leaver

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🎶 Music by the incredible Caspar Riis: ⁠https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis⁠. Used with permission.