Tamara Laporte (‘willowing’) is a creative catalyst of thousands of beautiful people. She is a celebrated mixed media artist, author and art teacher who has been running her creative business since 2008. Her work can be described as ‘mixed media folk art’ with a focus on ‘magical realism’. It ranges from whimsical children’s illustrations and stylised fantasy art to abstracted emotive portraiture. Love, mystery, innocence, hope, spirituality, raw emotions, kindness and self-connection inspire her art work. Symbolism and layering play a big part in her work. Her paintings often contain healing themes, uplifting messages and inspirational poetry. She believes that the act of creating art can be a gateway into healing and personal growth – often, her art classes contain an element of self development as well as learning art techniques. She is deeply devoted to helping people get in touch with their creative fire and would love to help YOU too to get in touch with the artist in you! She lives in the South of England with her two wonderful boys Dylan & Elliot, 4 dogs and her rock of a husband Andy.  

📝 Speaker Takeaways:

• Tam emphasizes the stress-reducing effects of art-making, highlighting how engaging with art can lower cortisol levels and induce a relaxed state of mind. She encourages individuals to embrace creative activities without fixating on outcomes, enabling them to enter a "sacred space" of personal peace and focus.
• In her practice and teaching, Tam integrates active gratitude exercises with artistic expression to combat negativity bias and build resilience. By creatively merging gratitude practices with art, she fosters a mindset of gratitude and positivity, enhancing well-being and personal growth.
• Tam discusses how art is vital for processing and adapting to life's challenges. She explores and expresses complex emotions through creative expression, facilitating acceptance and understanding of herself and her circumstances. This therapeutic journey through art has helped her navigate and adapt to various personal challenges.