S7E6 - Blending Emotions and Art: Inside the Creative Soul of an Artist <Part-1>!!

Get ready for a journey of artistic exploration and entrepreneurship, as I bring you a captivating conversation with the incredibly talented Tamara. Embarking on a creative adventure from childhood, she has worn many hats - from designing her own outfits to becoming an educator and a principal, and launching her first dress. We dive into her business evolution, discussing the strategic revamp of her website after 13 years, and the innovative approach she takes to merchandise sales.

Tamara's story unfolds like a tapestry of inspiration, as we delve into the impact of an unexpected accident that prompted a career pivot. We discuss the wisdom she has gained through her journey that's shaped her life... From customizing swimsuits to collaborations, Tamara underlines the importance of owning your intellectual property and cheering for yourself above all others.

Beyond business, our conversation navigates the crucial elements of mental health management, rest, and resilience in facing life's adversities. Tamara talks about her art, clothing, and jewelry, and their roles as emotional storytellers. We also discuss the powerful influence of social media on careers, and the significance it holds in our personal and professional lives. As we share insights on collaborations, appreciating art and artists, and much more, this episode is packed with invaluable lessons for creatives and entrepreneurs alike. So, tune in, take notes, and be inspired by Tamara's journey.

Transcript

Exploring Creative Journeys With Tamara

Tamara 0:00

I'm like I'm tied up this frumpy thing that you're putting me in. I'm tied up these boring muted colors. The only thing I have not done which I need to know is create underwear, because I'm tired of the ugly. Granny drawers Excuse my friend and so this is the bridge, I'm just like over it. So for me it's. I want to look different, so my earrings were. I'm tied up, going to the store and buying the same earrings and everybody is saying oh Hi, shit talkers.

Paula 0:31

Welcome to Talksio Whippy, and I am your host, paula the shit talker. I mean, don't we all like talking shit anyways? Are you a creator? If so, you are in the right space. Talksio Whippy is a place where we showcase and celebrate the talents, works and stories of creative minds from all walks of life, while also raising awareness for mental health through providing a supportive space to share their stories, insights and experiences. We will be discussing creative journeys, the high lows and the ways we manage our mental health through it all. Join us each week for inspiring conversations, useful resources and a community of like-minded creators as we dive into the minds of creative beings to explore their journeys, struggles and triumphs. So, whether you are a seasonal creative or just starting out, talksio Whippy is the podcast for you.

Paula 1:32

All right, ladies and gentlemen, my guest today is a special, special person I actually met a few months ago, shout out to shout out to Sandy. She was doing an empowered women, women, what was it? Women, empowered women's lunch, something like that and I went and, as I was the first person I met before, actually, sandy herself was my guest right now and she made me help her carry some stuff upstairs, and one of the things I helped carry at the end of the night was given to me and I was admiring it. See, this beautiful painting, I still haven't hung it because I still don't have a home and I don't want to hang it in this house and then I have to take it out but it's in my bedroom. I just brought it over here right now so people can see it, but it's normally in my bedroom anytime my work stresses me, I just look at it and I'm like so yeah, oh, and the hat I'm wearing was also given to me.

Paula 2:39

Actually, this was a challenge. She made people pick a hat and you should have seen how people were running around Trying to pick the hat. It was incredible, one of the most amazing. You wouldn't think like hats would make people go that crazy, but it did. It literally did. I wonder if she had said that for the handbags, because only God knows we would have been. You know when they throw a flower at the wedding. That's how it would have been if it was the handbags, because but, tamara, thank you so much for my painting my hat Yesterday it gave me some wine, like I love that place with so much knowledge, so much love, so much support and so much goodies. Tamara, welcome to Talkshare with me, thank you.

Tamara 3:23

I am so excited to be here. I've been waiting since then to be here, so I'm I mean no, I'm finally happy to finally have you.

Paula 3:32

How are you being gone?

Tamara 3:36

You know I had to sync the numbers up, so that was a big thing for me. It was 888.

Paula 3:41

Oh my God. Yes, and actually I don't know how I forgot to do this on my first, because I just finished recording another episode, but today is my brother's 32nd birthday my younger brother, who's my best friend so I'll be happy birthday and I love you.

Tamara 3:57

Thank you yeah.

Paula 4:01

I'm giving a beer on him because that's my beer drinking. Beauty going buddy.

Tamara 4:05

Oh, there you go, have some for me.

Paula 4:09

Now, miss Tamara, you are the woman of many talents. When I say many talents, I mean many talents, and we're going to get into that. But how did your artistic journey start? Like from. Let's go to the beginning. Like, take us back.

Tamara 4:29

Yes, I think I've always wanted to be an artist From childhood. I just always remember drawing, almost remember creating. I think one of the dresses I wore when I was like eight years old I told my mom how I wanted to be, with pulp, guts and stripes, and back then it didn't mix pattern, but I didn't care. That's what I wanted and I was in, you know, leg warmers and it's in Jamaica, which is 90 degrees, but I'm in leg warmers with a romper, the whole thing. So fashion and art has always been important to me through high school. I did some art in high school and then I told my parents I wanted to be an artist and my mom said no child of mine is going to become an artist.

Tamara 5:13

Jamaica mom huh, listen to me. It's just one of those things where parents think that artists don't make money. They don't care about my life. You're going to be put in the streets. You're going to be on the street corner selling the same piece of artwork every week and the boy's going to buy anything from you as an artist. So I never gave up my love or my passion for art. I went and did what my parents wanted me to do. I went to Florida International University. I graduated with a degree in English. I became an English teacher. Initially I was supposed to be an accountant, but I'd. Quantitative method of business was a class I knew I would fail, so I dropped out of the accounting degree. Oh my God.

Paula 5:58

Oh my God, it's funny you say that, cause a week ago or two, I really got you know. Facebook gives you this weird memories of years ago and it really said I can't believe I passed my QM classes because I used to not attend them, I hated them and my friend ended up studying with me overnight and I was just starting to cram to pass, not like.

Tamara 6:22

I don't want to know.

Paula 6:23

I don't care if I don't know, I just want to come to pass. And I screen-shotted it and I sent it to her. She was like I can't believe we actually passed the sheet. Oh my God, and until today we don't even use QM. Why the fuck are we?

Tamara 6:34

wasting our Listen. I didn't even take the class cause I knew I was going to fail. I'm like I don't have time nor money to pay for a class. I'm going to fail, so let's just change the degree. Like, I have every level of accounting in undergrad and graduate school, and I became an English teacher, but I loved English. This was one of my passions too, so I love to read. I love to write as well.

Tamara 6:55

People don't know about me, but I went on to become a teacher. I became an English teacher in middle school, then I went to DeWry University and became an admissions advisor, and then rose to the ranks and became a director of admissions for the university and then went to Kaiser University. But while I was teaching though, even though I was teaching English I still had my students drawing. So whatever they thought when I've written a story to them or whatever they wanted to depict, I made them draw during class, and this is 23 years ago, when I was teaching and I wanted to make sure that art was always.

Tamara 7:29

I was the drama teacher, so I was designing sets and doing all these different things, and when I went on to become a director for the university, I still had creative things going on in my office. It was the downtime, it was the time that we did with. Team building was something, always something, creative. I was decorated, even as a director. I was decorating the office. People were like why are you doing this? You don't have to do this thing. I was like, yeah, it was always my thing.

Paula 7:54

Creativity just comes naturally to me, because to some people that creating process is like a chore, like there's so much work, but when there's your passion, it's like, oh, I can do this in my sleep. Like what you talking about, like this is what helps me calm down.

Tamara 8:11

Exactly, exactly.

Tamara 8:13

And now people didn't understand. I went back to a principal. I was teaching art as a principal. I was still going to class and they're like you're the principal, not the art teacher. We have an art teacher. I say, yeah, but I still want to be able to do art. So, long story short, while I was a principal, I was launching my first dress. I should have brought this downstairs, but the dress I created which is now one of the dresses that I have but I designed the Jamaican dress.

Tamara 8:41

I was teaching vacation Bible school, teaching art, tie and dye and doing all these different things, and I realized that I was pretty good at it. I was pretty good at designing, I was pretty good at doing art and people wanted my bags. Back then it was tie and dye bags. It wasn't hand painted bags back then, so it was a little bit different, but from then. So this is now, yeah, 2012. So 11 years ago is when the first bag was created and we put all this thing together and it just blossomed from there. So everything that you see now and all the bags were actually paints on them is different, but that creativity and that process that wants to make dresses and fashion and the things my way has always been my go to thing. It has been something that fuels me.

Paula 9:30

And there's so many things you said about that, by the way, before the interview and you're going to go get the dress and show us. I'm just saying like it will have to do a feature in here. I'm not going to let that opportunity go, but I feel like you were the principal zoo whenever the art teacher called in secret anything. Instead of looking for for what were they called Substitute, I will be the substitute. I'm actually, when they call you to call oh, because many days, as you want, I got me.

Tamara 10:04

Don't worry about it, I have this other control. We're good.

Paula 10:08

And it's something you say but cause I'm from Tanzania, so you know I understand Africa, I know I would call us to Jamaica and South Africa anyway, but I know how, back in the days right, I will call my, my grandparents, cause my parents grew up with that mentality where they couldn't pursue their dreams, just like you, right, but if something is really your passion, it really doesn't leave you like, look at you, even though with all that, you live a totally different life. But you still came back to your portion like this is what I want to do. But I feel like, because of that, like look at my parents right now. My brother wanted to do music. My dad supported and help because he didn't get that support, so now they're trying to to be that I wanted to start a podcast.

Paula 10:59

What do you need? Just like you, I'm sure, right now, your kids. You're allowing them to be as creative as they can be, because we understand you came from where you were not allowed to do that and even though you try to follow that path that you were supposed to, it still ended up bringing you back there, which sometimes you're like man, I could have started the shit way before, but I also, I also believe that God's plan right. There's a reason why sometimes our roads end up going that way, even though sometimes I look at God and I'm like, did I really need to take all the road to get here? Like couldn't you just shortcut it for me? Did I have to hit all those bumps? But I feel like we were meant to be because of the people you meet on that journey, the obstacles you meet, the clarity you get, and maybe if you wouldn't have gone through that, you wouldn't really know if this was your passion or not, or you wouldn't have gone hard for it, right.

Tamara 12:01

I absolutely agree and I think having my corporate background because I went on to become a COO and a CFO for an organization so I think that background helped me to establish the business principles within my organization, the ability to go in and have a turnkey solution for organizations where my art is concerned, being able to still the training and development even with my art. So I truly, truly embody the experiences that I had before and appreciate them and I want to make sure that their lived lessons you know Sandy B likes to talk about their tuition. When I make mistakes and things like that, you're paying tuition. So when I think about my prior experience, I incorporate that in my business practices. Now I'm in SOPs, in creating pieces of work too.

Tamara 12:47

That embodies my experiences and I think because of that I come to the table or show up differently, like when you came to hear me speak, you heard me talking about what is needed, talking about smart goals and putting all these different things together. Had I not gone to university, had I not pursued my degree in human resources at an English, then I wouldn't have the things that I have now. I wouldn't know and understand protocols and different things like that, contracts and understanding why it's important to have contracts in place and to adhere to them and to redefine brings up things, because you know things get lost in the shuffle and people will screw you over if you don't read and you don't ask questions. So I truly implore having that experience and enjoying that.

Paula 13:34

So true, even with your accounting background, I mean it wasn't much. But I feel like it also helps you right now with your financial budgeting and stuff, because however knowledge of which you have, it does help structure that. And I feel like maybe if you hadn't taken that route, maybe you really would have been a struggling artist that your mother would say you would cause. All right, the art world is not easy to break into or you know you really need to fight and have the strength and ambition and the finances and cause. It takes a lot of marketing. You can just so your background by working, that it has prepared you either financially or even if it's not big, financial but somehow, you know, compared to just out of the get, go getting into the hot steam, because most of the time when we're that age you feel like, oh, all I need to do is create one piece and get it to the right person and the days are open.

Tamara 14:32

you know, because, at that age.

Paula 14:34

that's what you feel like, that's all you're going to do, and sometimes this shows light to us, because we see all their photographer today and somebody saw their picture and they're blown.

Stay Ready, Evolve, Be Important

Tamara 14:46

Yeah, listen to me, it takes every day. It takes tenacity. You can't just say, oh, I'm so, all the peace now, I'm good. No, you need to sell 50 more. That's the truth and that for me is so important. It's funny that you say that because for me, I sell one piece and I'm excited now to sell 20 more. It's like, all right, I know, let's go, let's go. It's not like, oh, I can sit on a relax now, it's now as break canvas out.

Tamara 15:13

It's so ironic that you said that because this weekend I saw some pieces. This weekend I said you know what? It's time for me to evolve. And evolution for me is going into oils and going into different mediums. And I said I always say I want to oil because it's too expensive to divide Number one, number two, it takes so long to dry. I'm so used to painting, so quickly with acrylics, with doing these different things, and now expanding into oil now puts me into a different realm, if you will. So different clientele will be able to appreciate oil where somebody else will be like well, I don't care if it's oil, acrylic, whatever it is, it doesn't matter. But I know that at this point in the structure in my business, that I want more, that I crave for more. Yes, I've had some successes, but guess what? You're as good as five minutes ago.

Paula 16:10

Oh, the next piece you're as good as the next. And that's so true because I do feel like the young artists. These people, once they sell one, they feel like, oh, especially if they do it to somebody who is a little bit non-obligate. They feel like, oh, that's my break, now they're going to come to me. But, brah, half of the time these people want to even mention your shit out there.

Paula 16:35

This is the chance. You need to go harder because you have proved yourself. If that person could pay that money and love that piece, this should be an awakening. That fuck, I need to go harder. But most people don't think like that. They feel like, oh, I've already sold one, I have this. Like I've sold the five thousand dollar piece. Oh, this five thousand is gonna cover me for a month, two months, and then I come back. But the momentum is going as soon as you get it. You gotta keep on going, like every time me I get guests, I get interviewed for a piece, oh, I'm like oh, my god, I love that. I want more pieces written about me. That should drive you not.

Tamara 17:17

Kill you Up at three o'clock in the morning, about three forty five. I was up as, like, I have all these things to do today. I know I, you know I had meetings that had delivers I had to make, had shipments had to go out, I had things that have to paint, have an upcoming event, a three day. We really afford a but a three day major event coming up this weekend. Reggae fest is this weekend. So that means I have to have hats ready for reggae fest. I'm like painting new hats.

Paula 17:44

Oh my god, that's beautiful.

Tamara 17:47

So I'm creating new designs for this weekend that nobody's ever seen, doing things on wood, that people have never seen me do. So it's like how do I break out of this niche that people think that I'm in? Yes, I do interior design. You know, I have my pillows that I do, we have the paintings in the back, we have earrings that I'm wearing. This is how I actually started to here in Georgia.

Tamara 18:10

But creating a market and it's not being okay with sitting in one market and said, okay, I'm good at master this because I go to West Elm and I paint almost every weekend in the month of August, but nom is once a month. But when I go back and think about it, I had an accident. August 16th it's coming up on one year since I had an accident and that accident derailed my entire career. I had things in place, I had savings in place, I had things in place, but what I was not ready for was a financial strain that came from me having to pay to fix my car because a person was uninsured, me having to miss out on 10, 12 weeks of painting because I'm hurt. I'm still hurt now. You know all those different things that we don't think about you prepare for them to an extent, because I knew, like he said, I sold paintings over the over that, oh, august, and I had put things aside and I knew things were done.

Tamara 19:05

But when it came January and I'm going okay, now the money's run out, because I normally would have been making money and doing everything every month, but I lost all those months. So what do you do? You pivot. You say, okay, well, I'm gonna go back to doing some garments now, bringing in new swimsuits, doing different things. But you constantly have to be on your toes. You cannot rest on your laurels and say, okay, I'm good, it's people gonna come by, my friends are gonna come and support me. No, it didn't happen. Yeah, it won't happen. So you have to.

Paula 19:35

I mean, I mean we should be learning from Beyonce and Rihanna. They have so much money but they still keep going harder. You're like Beyonce. Why are you still doing a tour and charging all this money for people? Because I gotta stay early, I gotta be prepared, and sometimes we feel like this money. But I know me and you both have been through a fire, you've been through an accident. There's certain things that do end up happening where you end up spending more of your savings than what you expected. I mean coffee. Everybody was living off to their savings. Almost everybody went bankrupt and shit. So if coffee doesn't teach you to, like you know, you gotta always be hungry. Like you have zero dollars in your account Every day is zero dollars.

Tamara 20:21

Every day. Is you working harder? It's me showing up. You know people are saying, oh, you're the lady who paints in the window. Yep, I'm gonna sit in that window at West Elm and Avalon and paint until they tell me don't come anymore. But I'm gonna continue to paint and come, to show up and continue to greet people at the door Hi, how are you Welcome in? Like, I work at West Elm. I Love what I do, absolutely what love what I do, and I want to make sure that I stay happy and my clients are happy. You know, I said I'm changing to oil and changes different things. I told one of my collectors I was like, listen, come September I'm switching up things. And he's just like what. I was like, yeah, I'm going to all. He's like Okay, I'm ready.

Tamara 21:01

You know, and you have to give your insiders those things and for them to feel special that you didn't know, you're gonna be working on these different things and I'm saying that to you to say that we all need to evolve. We all need to step up our game again. Rihanna started with her songs and she was Performing and mix with people. Know people want to be with her. She has fantasy. You know she sold all these different things.

Tamara 21:24

And when I think about locally, when I think about Pinky Cole, pinky Cole does not need to open another restaurant, but what does she do? Every week, if you look, pinky Cole is going to another location. She's doing market research. Where do you need to be? What's going on? All these different things? Her entire wedding, her entire pregnancy is a production because she knows how to make money from her name, and that's where I want it to be a brand, where Tamer Gamble is a brand. It is the legacy that will be left for my children as I build it. We just moved. My dining room table is filled right now with earrings that I'm painting their hats on, I'm chairs on tables and everything. All because we're in this transition period and we have to stay ready, because but wait until Friday to paint these things is like, well, what do I sell if I haven't done before, you know, so that's one thing, that I think is important is to stay ready.

Paula 22:19

And that's the trouble evolving like I myself talk to you with me, I want it to be a brand. And when? When I tell you, if somebody goes this evening, from my First episode of season one to right now, where I'm about to do season seven, every season has been different because every season I learn, I show up to things that I need to show up. I learn because I have to evolve in order. There's so many podcasters out there. In order for me to still stay relevant, in order for me to keep growing, I do need to evolve. My logo changed. I needed it to change. So I feel like sometimes people feel like, oh, because I'm already here, if I change, I might lose my customers or anything. But no, you might gain your customers because them, those people, will love your old stuff, will still have your old stuff Because you're not gonna stop doing your old stuff, but then you get new people love your new stuff. Oh, those old people, because they've trusted you with your artistic sense and they appreciate your work. We'll get to adapt with you because they know your work. And again, as you say, just Giving them my heads up. When I was changing my logo, I was constantly announcing we're changing our logo coming soon and I did an entire reveal of the logo before the season started and people ended up loving it.

Paula 23:32

In the beginning I was scared, because why do you change a brand? But look at all these TV stations They've changed names. After a while, the companies they have changed names, they're rebranded, so those big people can rebrand and still keep their people. Why do you feel like you can't? Because, at the end of the day, in order to still be relevant, you do need to evolve, because the world is evolving. Look at now, everybody's talking about chat, gpt and AI. So you ever learn to have to be around it. All those people who are using those are gonna get further ahead, because right now, that's the Like we were gonna go with the flow and.

Tamara 24:17

Creep, like I'm changing my website and it is this. One of those things is like I've had the same website for 13 years. I'm changing. I mean I've changed some of the pictures, of course, but it's a layout. I want something new, I want something fresh. I want to be as we go into this new season, into the fall, and we transition. It's just like everybody else. If you said these TV shows change, these different that's design sets change, all these different things change.

Tamara 24:44

You know people like oh, don't discount your work. And I was like everybody, people, people sell off. Every store I going to right now has a clearance sale, has something because you're trying to move Merchandise. Good, city and hold on to this is peace and make zero dollars. Or you can make five hundred dollars Versus with them is five thousand dollars and create new things and move merchandise as you go. So when you think about it as a small business owner, I operate as a corporation. Right, I don't think of it. Oh, it's just me and everything else. Right now, there's about four of us in here having to work on things and do things. So now, when you think about that, you know as simple as picking up something from your, something being delivered, or whatever it is. It's important if you think of it from a corporate standpoint, because one day I will truly be a corporation, so why not?

Paula 25:33

amen.

Tamara 25:34

Why not think as it is right now?

Paula 25:37

And and something you said about your website, though that you created the ten years. I mean a lot is change. You also as a person ever involved in those 13 years. So it only makes sense. And sometimes you also want I know people get used to something, so you want them when they they walk into your, you know, imagine if I go to your website every fucking day, right, and I already know it, and then what they're working, and it's all new fear.

Paula 26:04

I might end up even buying Something that has been there for a while, but I haven't recognized it, because the whole field is different. You know something. I mean I've worked at home goods and I've seen we're on the clear inside, because people always go to the Korean side first, so it's always a mess, always. So sometimes people don't want to dig in and I, because I work there, I think something's be there like for six or seven months. And then when I say, okay, today I'm cleaning the Korean side and I will rearrange it, because I was a merchandiser, so I merchandise everything, and she and I put it right in the front and I decorate it and next thing, you know it has been bought.

Paula 26:43

I, because the presentation has changed. Nothing has changed. It's just a presentation. I should was sitting there for five fucking months. Nobody wanted to die my soon. As you change the presentation, it's go, it's go, it's go. So it does help to sometimes Change up a bit. Just like the stores, just like the seasons For summer, winter, it changes and we still adapt. So you can also change. You can have themes you can have. I mean, it is okay, you don't have just because you started that way. As long as you're communicating With your people, they will be okay, trust me. I think sometimes we over why that? Oh my god, if I switch too much, I'm a loose people or anything. But trust me, you're the people who are right, for you Will stay and those are the new ones will find you because you keep evolving with time. But if you keep having that oddness, the new ones who are evolving will be like Eh nah, this one looks more pretty, I'm gonna go here.

Tamara 27:46

Yes, absolutely, and it's just about, as you said, repositioning yourself and creating Abuzz and creating the need. It was a simple thing as adding a tag. We did a 50 off sale. No, I've been telling everybody 50 off, but until we put that red tag on those paintings this weekend, people like, oh, it's 50 off. Okay, like every time you come in here today, I'm going to come to you now. Okay, 50 off, and that was it. People kept oh, can I get this one? Okay, you can have this one, but it's gonna be like this next week. No, it won't be 50 off. I won't be the same paintings in here next week because I had to change all everything that's happening. So, you know, it's creating all these different things.

Tamara 28:30

I'm working on things for reggae fest this weekend, uh, where it's gonna be a little bit different things that people have never seen me do before, which I'm excited about, um, and then, you know, when I get back to West, um, it's gonna be some new paintings. It's gonna be oil paintings, which is something that they've never seen me do in the store. So I want to be able to have that wall factor. I want that piece where people are like, hmm, that's different. I went. The dress is coming off, let's just come along see this. I know so. So the addition to those there will be some women with here with dreadlocks this weekend, all these different things, so yeah, this reggae fest, this shit would have gone real quick, because you know what I speak?

Paula 29:16

reggae fest, she's just missing a. She's just missing a blunt over here, then you're good.

Tamara 29:26

I don't know. Give me an idea. Maybe I should paint some of those this weekend.

Paula 29:30

I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I'm telling you, because I mean it's reggae fest, you know, and it's pigment park. It's not like in an indoor place. There are already people blazing my shillings.

Tamara 29:46

Absolutely sure yeah keep me posted.

Paula 29:52

If you keep me posted, if you do, and how it goes, because I might actually actually text me. If you do paint them, because I'll pull up on you to see. You know, if it's not very hot I'll come and help, because you know it's been very hot. Either it's so hot or it's raining. Cuts and dogs. I'd like to get your shit together.

Tamara 30:15

I'm it's bipolar. I've been to whether it's absolutely bipolar. It's supposed to be. Rain is a part of the weekend, but I'm hoping not the entire weekend because we're gonna be out there on their tent to help no lightning.

Paula 30:28

I'm like, yeah, because when it's so much rain you don't even get the traction you need. At least if it's hot you still get the traction because it's it's a tent people want, but when it's raining people are Fuck, no, and I'm not gonna get wet. Yeah, exactly. So your creative journey spans a wide range of mediums, from Artwork to clothing, to Jerry, to clocks, to handbags, to swimwear, like. Oh, my damn god, how, how did you discover your passion for such diverse forms? Because I know most arts, artistic people like who consider themselves art, will end up we're just doing artwork pieces, but you, like, ventured into everywhere. So how did your passion for such diversity form in your expression, and how Do they all come together in developing your unique style?

Unique Fashion

Tamara 31:27

Exactly what you just said unique style. I was tired of wearing what everybody was wearing. As a plus size woman and a woman of color, every time I went into Certain plus size stores I won't name them I feel the same thing. I'm like I'm tied up, this frumpy thing that you're putting me in. I'm tired of these boring muted colors. The only thing I have not done, which I needed to know, is create underwear, because I'm tired of the ugly, granny drawers excuse my friend and the bridge. I'm just like over it. So for me it's. I want to look different to my earrings where I'm teleguining to store and buying the same airing and everybody is saying, oh I.

Paula 32:13

I stopped buying Jerry in stores a long time ago.

Tamara 32:18

You know, there's a beautiful my jewelry because I want to be different hats In the fall. Sometimes I can't wet my hair as much as I want to some like Some days I don't want to comb my hair, so I'm sorry I've been lazy. I started to do hats. I was like People were like where did you get that hat? I'm like I made it and I'm like, oh, you make hats too. I'm like, yep, so it was always out of a need for me. When you go back to talk about, when you create something that you like, then that's when it's important to others. You have to love what it is that you create. I love color. I love wearing color. I'm an introvert who has to be an extrovert. So for me, at home I look like I'm homeless, but when I'm going out I'm stepping on, I'm gonna be cute and that's how it's supposed to be.

Tamara 33:08

I want to be. I want to be unique, though I don't want to look like I'm blending with everybody else. So you may see me yet in a traditional dress, but my shoes is going to be funky, it's going to be colored. On Saturday, I had on a two-two with my hand painted Air Jordans and I think we're like I've never seen in Air Jordans before. I'm interested in sneakers. I'm like I wear them and just has to be my designs on it. That's the only difference.

Paula 33:35

Oh my god, can everybody play Air Jordans in your pranking? Yes, ma'am, I do. You're gonna have to talk because I actually need you to do. I've seen your swimwear and I love them, but I want a special edition for Toxia with P Like. I need you to paint a nice, like, create a nice. And I'm a one piece Kind of person, but a very funky one piece. You know me and I feel like you're gonna be able to, so you know we can do that.

Tamara 34:05

So, yes, I'm actually customizing some swimsuits for people's Anniversaries. Right now they're going away to Vegas. I'm putting swimsuits together. I do it for, like girls trips and things where girls you know, women are going Away and they want to have a whole theme. So we can do that. And that's the great thing about being not on the artist but also the designer is that I can come up with everything. I can do it on my own. I retain the intellectual property right, and that's very important. Part of business is having that intellectual property and owning your intellectual property. I'm not saying, oh well, you did it thing for me and did it now. Yeah, I have a partnership with a car company. We're doing some cars right now. We're in the works getting all that done. That will be debuting on Saturday, so I'm excited about that. But yeah, it's just about the whole creative journey. Is owning it right? It's being able to. In my house, my artwork is on the wall, my pillows are on my couch. I live this. This is this is my life, right? I exactly, exactly yeah.

Paula 35:16

Right, you gotta be your number one fan, because you can't expect people to be your fan if you're not your own fan. Right, I know when I went to port first I had my my Toiletry bag, I had my mug, I had my bookmark, like everything talks you with me, and everybody was looking at me. I was like, damn, you really are branded. And then on the last day I have a backpack. I had my backpack, I had my top talk she would be. I had socks, I had sandals, I had everything. Are you sure? I'm like, yeah, I am gonna be my own walking. I can't expect people to buy shit for me if I'm not also wearing my own shit, exactly as today.

Tamara 35:57

I was on the road to take my son to the doctor today and I had on my she-believe shirt. I was home painting at construction, went out home, but I was in my shirt and the shoes I had on was my hand-painted shoes that I had on today. I am, when you walk out, even if I am not dressing, dressing up, I'm gonna be branded, I'm gonna have on something and I always have my purse with me.

Tamara 36:19

I'm gonna bring it over, but I always have my purse with me. That is branded as well and, and and people. It's a conversation. It's always gonna spark a conversation. Exactly ready to say yes, and my website is cameragammoncom. It's my new.

Paula 36:34

You should be your own promotion board and I also want to give it a shout out to sunday sunday be your promotion board. Like sunday, be killing on your, on your shit, right.

Tamara 36:45

Sandy and and that's it. She walks to, walks and talk and talk. You know and that was. You know, she's gonna put on one of my designs and she's gonna say hey, I'm in your design, I can see and I can spot my earrings. I don't care who makes earrings or whatever it is, I know my earrings from a mile.

Paula 37:00

Oh yeah.

Tamara 37:01

I can tell. So when she puts down, I was like that's my girl, or she's wearing a shirt in a suit and I and I know, I know it's mine, I know it's my brand, and that's the thing about. Is Owning your brand not the same? Oh yeah, all it is it's my name. But owning that and knowing that, hey, this is mine, this is something that I created Three o'clock in the morning when I'm up working and designing this morning is to send things out. It's knowing that it's mine and I own it. But it's also a down sign to that. There are times where I've dropped the ball, where I've been late and shipping something out because I'm so stressed being a one-woman show, trying to get everything done, and that's my customer. I apologize, but Guaranteed that customer is getting something extra because I dropped the ball and sometimes we have to. That's the most saddest.

Tamara 37:53

It's. It's so important. It is so important to have good customer service and that's why I retain most of my customers. Because of that, there are going to be some who don't understand, because they still think it's amazon. I'm not team when I'm not Amazon, right, so I can't ship next day. Even if I have it here, I still have to package it as to put it together.

Rest and Listen to Your Body

Paula 38:13

I'm still and probably your next be already has so much on the list. Because you are a Mother, you are a partner, you are there's all that that comes, you know. So and that's my time gone. But because me and you are different, you create them. I just go on the website and put my sticker and whatever, and then let it end If I was creating it myself and that's.

Paula 38:35

I think that's one of the things, because I hate going to to post office and dealing with that.

Paula 38:40

So I was like I do not want to order all this much and I have them in my house and for people not to buy If they're on Shopify for me, because I didn't put my energy in creating them, I just sit on the bed at night and I just go and I'm like, oh, I want the socks. I just put my picture, position it and that's it, unlike you, so for that, it's like it will stay there if somebody buys it, cool if somebody doesn't. But that's not like my life, we hood. But you, it's different. That that is your, your, that's, that's your brand, that's your baby, that's your, your business. But and I feel like most people like, again, you say, as long as the communication is there with the customers, and I feel like most people are understanding when the communication comes, especially for small own businesses. But unless you're being, because there are some small businesses, even though they're the ones in the wrong and sheet, and then they have this bad attitude and that becomes a problem.

Tamara 39:38

Yeah, I don't want that and I, you know, I follow up with customers like hey, you know, when I had my accident, there's so many understanding customers like knowing that I couldn't ship those things out. It's still hard for me now to even this up. There's some canvases Because, you know, my back still hurts or my shoulder still hurts and I have to be mindful, like tomorrow is rested, tomorrow I am resting and that's very important.

Tamara 40:00

Yes, Thirdly, friday, saturday, sunday, I am working and I know, I know I have to listen to my body. I now know I can't push myself beyond a certain limit, because it will, I'll pay for it, and the pain for it means that I will be out of commission for a week. So it's best to take one day off at least and recuperate and then reset, because your mind needs to reset too. All right, your mind, your body, your soul, is that reset?

Paula 40:25

And that's what I tell people, because sometimes, at my job as well, I will wake up in the morning and I'll feel my body telling me, or even I end up having a very shitty attitude and I know if I go into work I might end up losing my job because that shitty attitude, my body is literally telling me listen, girl, I know you need the money, but you gotta stay. And sometimes I look at my financial situation. I'm like you know, my deals are coming up shit. I need this by the end of the day. I'm like if I force myself, I might go there and do some fucked up shit and lose the job, which will put me in a worse situation.

Surviving Challenges With Faith and Priorities

Paula 41:00

Or I might end up going to do and I'm falling sick, ending up in a hospital and then having to pay all these hospital bills because hospitals ain't cheap. So I'm like you know, I let her call out and miss that eight hours, but when the body says rest, listen to it because the price you're gonna pay Will be and it took me a while to understand that, because you know where I live at the moment paycheck to paycheck because of a lot of shit and and that's and that's not something I I am fearful to say, but I'm still making my way and leaving my, figuring out my dreams and paying my bills, and but there's certain days that, even though I live paycheck to paycheck and I need every cent I have and I go, we'll figure it out. God got you Pray, sleep, you need to sleep, you need to rest, you need to. Just tomorrow, you go back because it's necessary.

Tamara 42:00

As you know, I went through the fire that I told you I had two thousand and thirty cents left in my bank account, right, and God brought me back from that. Two thousand and thirty cents every game I earned and then did everything. Well, the accident again put me down again and I was like, really, god and I went through it, had, say, wins, and then the other day I ended up in the negative and I'm like, how did this happen? But I, everything was going on. My son got sick, moving, we're trying to do all these different things and life happens and we've never missed a meal, despite everything else and things not getting paid when they're supposed to get paid sometimes. That that's what, what it had to be. I had to prioritize life. I had to prioritize my son's health over certain things, and that's what's important. You know, people in regards to my son was like oh, when is he gonna go to college? When is he gonna do everything? I'm like I'm trying to keep him alive. Do you understand how much stuff he's gone through? Right now I'm just celebrating Today.

Tamara 43:00

We went to the doctor and he's been the healthiest he's been in four years. Four years, today is the healthiest he has ever been. Won't God do it? I had to go ahead. No, I just want to say I said that was it. I said look at all the strife that I'm going through and stressing and putting everything else and God knows. I was exhausted and did not want to go to that doctor today. But I had to go. I had to make sure that I'm taking care of him and making sure I'm prioritizing his health as well and falling up with a doctor and I was tired as I don't know what because I had to let that wheelchair out, to get him in his wheelchair and do all those different things. But to hear that and he hadn't been eating for two days, and when I said to him, do you want to go to Tasty Spoon? He's like yes, and he went. And we just look at God and that's that.

Infusing Personal Narratives Into Art

Paula 43:51

And I tell people I used to over why so much? Because I'm over thinking I'm a cancer like I live in my head and then eventually I was like it's doing nothing to me, so all I do. I might still worry, but I worry less and I will worry and then once I pray, I'm like Chris and Paula you have done the worrying, you've prayed, leave it to God, keep going, because nothing's. And somehow, despite everything, it always ends up being okay, like every time. Because in my head I'm like you know what. There's no point arguing with something if that's how it's meant to go. That's how it's meant to go. I know God has gotten me through so much shit until right now. I've lost my job and didn't. For two months I didn't have a job and I still survived. I had a fire and still survived. So you know we're gonna survive. I will find a place. I will. The money will come. I will survive. I do not have the energy to argue you can't.

Tamara 44:55

It doesn't make sense. It's just like you have to cut off things right. It's just like when if you have gangrene or something on your foot, in order to save the rest of your life, you have to cut the foot off right. You can't keep holding on to the gangrene and and say, oh, if I throw a little alcohol, I throw a little hydrogen peroxide, no, it's gangrene, it's over, it's it's it's festering. Cut it off and keep the rest of your body and keep moving. So, given that negative energy and allowing it to bubble and and to go and say is a dressy thing head on and then just pray about it and keep moving on.

Tamara 45:27

So I woke up at three. I was like thank you God for waking me up. I'm tired, there's a lot of stuff going on, but I'm gonna get through today and I know I have a lot of things on my plate today and I wanted to make sure I had scheduled because I came back in at 7 30 and it was 8 o'clock. I was just coming back in from being on the road with my son because the traffic was so bad. I was like I gotta be on the car, I gotta be here, and you know it's prioritizing those things that are important, that those things that make you want to live and ignite the spirit and everything else. I'm excited about being here with you, I'm being able to talk to you and getting all that in.

Paula 46:00

Of course, we talk to them right now and the fact that you actually also reached out to me like girl, when am I coming to a podcast? I'm like this is the energy I want, because sometimes you talk to people about coming to your podcast and I hate it when we talk about it and you show excitement but then you also don't kind of reach out to me. But you have done it and I believe twice we have talked about it. I was like, so that makes me happy. Now in this process, right, when we talk about art, clothing, jewelry, all have the power to convey emotions and stories, right? Everybody, the way they dress the art, they pick the jewelry, they wear it, it has some emotions, it has some stories. Either oh, this is from my great grandmother, or you know this. I felt certain connection with this.

Tamara 46:53

So how do you infuse your personal narratives and emotions into your creations, regardless of the medium, because we do know the medium can be very critical so I think for me, when I think about the, the silhouettes of women that I paint and I'm most I use the word famous for is this dancers or these silhouettes? As a teenager and even as a child, I danced, and even though I was plus size, I still dance. I didn't care if my belly was showing or whatever it is. Dance made me happy, it was freeing to me, and so now I paint women, most of them with their backs, because we, as women, carry a lot and we bear the burden, if you will. So, even as delicate and as simple and beautiful as a dancer is, you notice that the arms, if you ever look at what my paintings, their arms are stretched out a little bit longer than they should be, just because they have been bearing so much and I turned it back is just like, yes, a small of her back is the sexiest part where woman is what they say.

Tamara 48:06

But when you think about it is that sometimes that innocence, if you will, is taken away, so I always can infuse or depict my life in that sense. I am a survivor of sexual abuse, from a molestation, so for me it's, it's how do I depict my strength, my innocence and everything else in these paintings? And it's the simplest of things and and just how my evolution and how I am, the woman I am today. So a lot of that is also brought to my pieces. When it looks at the abstract, it's almost organized chaos, and that's how my life is. I am the mother of three. I have just inherited, if you will, three more, so mother of six combined, and, yes, so I'm waiting for my invite.

Paula 48:58

I'm just saying and I know we're talking about this because, oh, by the way, the day I met her, it was also a big day for her just saying but it is, um, you know, important for this organized chaos as it sometimes.

Tamara 49:20

I am overthinker as well, and with abstract painting it is not overthinking, it's just a freedom to create, to put down whatever color you want, and people can interpret it however they feel. But for me, I am a visual learner. I'm art learner, but visually, if I see something I can recapture and sometimes it's just people passing in the store while I'm painting or if I'm home and there's construction going on, then I'm going to put all these different things into it. Whatever it is, I want to infuse that into my work and then also be able to depict my mood safety, see bright colors and I'm going to paint um, that's just my happiness, all these different things that it evokes. But I'm also going to paint like what you have there, with her eyes cold and simplicity, but also depict her, by the way, just one eye and you know, because you know I love this painting.

Paula 50:19

Yeah, I can't wait to hang it on my new plate, because now I have to look for a new place change is good.

Tamara 50:25

I we've just moved. It's been chaos since we've moved, but I'm grateful that we have a roof of our head. Every day we have somebody else coming here to fix something else, and it's about people like people don't know that's going on while I'm having life. You know this is a very transparent moment for me that through last two and a half months of moving, you know I still haven't unpacked my clothes. My clothes are in bags upstairs. My closet is on the construction, not because I'm fixing anything up, but because there was an issue with it.

Tamara 50:55

But there's so many things going on. Life is lifeing. Life is is going on on a day-to-day basis and people just see you show up and you're smiling and they have no idea what you're going on, what's going on in your life. You know, the kids started school and I'm maneuvering all of that. That is going on and people tend to think well, you look like you have it all together. You show up and you dressed up and make it pretty and that's what happens is that when I show up into spaces, my makeup is done like today I have no makeup on. So you know, it's kind of one of those things that you know being here.

Tamara 51:32

You can't even tell, because you're glowing over here thank you, thank you, but I have no makeup on, you know, it's showing up as your true self too. It's showing up in in those space of being true to who you are but also shedding all these things that we do. That is persona of. I have to be all together and people have to see me all together. I'm a hot, hot mess right about now. Right, I tell you, my living room, my dining room sorry has all this stuff in there because I'm creating, because that's a creative space. But I also need to leave where we all come together as a clear space, because we have to have that clear space all up to breathe, to all the things and everything else, and despite the chaos. So, talking about my work, that plays a part in it too, when I'm creating these different things. But then sometimes I have very intricate pieces and I have very pieces where it's just so relaxed and calming and everything.

Tamara 52:30

It all depends with the mood and the surroundings everything, my mood, it does, anything I see or what's going on is what I paint and that's what people will always see with me there sometimes, where I just paint because people ask me to paint certain things but I don't plan my paintings. That's why people don't know, unless the commission. I do not plan. My painting is whatever colors I pick up from my toolbox, whatever tools I decide to use. Sometimes it's just my fingers, like all we can. I paint with my fingers. It was kind of like I want to feel the paint and touch it. It's goes back to being so tactile and and being one with the painting and I feel like and I think it's so much fun painting with your fingers.

Paula 53:11

Sometimes, you know, you gotta get the mess, the mess. People avoid the mess, but the mess makes beautiful and I think that's the the abstract, why people have abstract. And for me, because I suck at drawing, painting so abstract for me it's like, oh my god you, you just, it's no longer you painting, it's the colors painting for themselves, because you just do whatever. And the next thing you know, and the best part about it, not just abstract, but any art, and I think this is why most people love art and it can also be a life meaning, because one piece of art, this one piece, five people can look at it and everybody can have a different interpretation of it. But then yet we want everybody to have one meaning, or one of life or of anything. If one piece of art, we can all think differently things, why can't I as a person? Tamar can see me as, oh my god, paula is a beautiful human being. Sandra can see me oh my god, paula is a thoughtful human being, because all those different things can make me. I don't have to be one person, I don't have to be in a box or anything. So I think we need. We need to learn more from art as human beings and maybe we'll be better human beings.

Paula 54:35

But also, you stated. You stated a lot of jumps in there. You know something my mom told me. I used to live in UK and most people don't know that there were days in UK when we would be so broke but nobody would know it like creature. We wouldn't even have electricity in the house. We wouldn't know what we're eating at night, but we always figure it out. But when you see outside, we're always dressed like, we look good. And my mom told me something she was like Paula, you should never look like your problems like. And also that's why I think what social media has brought, because people take what you post.

Paula 55:21

They're internally yes like I be looking at people and I'm like, just because I posted or just because you saw me, I posted doesn't mean I'm okay. Yes, you don't know if that post was scheduled. You don't have somebody else as of my password and is posting for me, and half of the time, like me, when you go, look at my post, which is something I've posted today I had so much hair or something and look at me right now, it shows you that that's the fucking old post that I'm just using. So that's because I posted it now doesn't mean that's what's happening right now. So people need to learn to actually have conversations with people. People feel like, oh, I saw a post, so she must be okay. No, I have to post because my business depends on me posting on social media, me being active on social media. It doesn't mean I could be in bed right now crying tears, but just because I post and that's why I tell people it's important to check on your people, no matter how many times they've posted on Instagram.

Paula 56:27

Like literally, my friend passed away three weeks ago and I had the most hard time dealing with that. I had to take almost three days off work and the only good thing I could have taken a whole week, but the next week I was already scheduled off because my family was in town my sister, who I hadn't seen nine years, and my niece was born in 2020. I had a meta year. They came from Tanzania so I had a whole week with them. Actually, they missed the flight, so they ended up being here for two weeks. But before that, my high school best friend who literally every time she was very active on Facebook and I think that's what I was like oh, I'll check on her, I'll check on her. And then every time I see her post and I'm like, oh, it's a reminder that I need to check on her. But because she posted, I'm like, yeah, she's live, you know, and she had just lost her husband over alcohol abuse. The husband killed himself and then it was just one year in a visa she was going through it. She has two kids and I'm there in Germany. The family is back home. So she was having a hard time and especially the one year coming and the mother-in-law, who her kid, the grandkids, richly look like his son, so she's also dealing with her own.

Social Media's Impact on Careers

Paula 57:41

So we were having these conversations because she listens to my podcast and they should come. She listened to an episode and she'd be like, hey, this, this, this. And then the last message she sent me she was like Paula, when you get a chance, please call me. I'd like to talk to you. We don't have to talk about anything serious, we can just laugh, talk about stupid shit. I really miss you. I wanna talk to you. And I told her I promise I'll call you as soon as I can this weekend. And I didn't call her that weekend.

Paula 58:09

And then my birthday came. And then I saw one day before my birthday she posted. I was like, oh shit, I need to call her tomorrow, I'm free. And because I was just enjoying my birthday, you know, I wasn't even trying to call or return. Even the people who were calling me for my birthday was in our saying or return calls. You know, sometimes you just need to be away from.

Paula 58:28

And then July 2nd, I get a call that she passed away. That shit hit me. I thought that now I can't call her back ever again. Now the fuck, those social media posts that I thought to wore everything. Now I will even miss on them. But just because she was posting today doesn't mean she was dealing with a kidney failure that I didn't even fucking know about, or I didn't know that maybe, whatever she was dealing with, I could have advised her to go get a check. I am out too, you know. So that guilt ate me so much. I got depressed, I got sad, I could not walk. I could not, and I walk in customer service. I'm like, how am I supposed to be happy and swear? You know, customer, you gotta be happy and cheaper, and I wasn't. I wasn't. So we need to be more. This social media it's not real life. Like people, half of the time they do what they gotta do in the social media, yes, and we gotta check on each other, and so it's very important for me.

Tamara 59:32

It's one of those in-grab posts. You don't have to first next, you just trying to hold it together. It's because you just never know. And for me, I schedule a lot of my posts. I have so many drafts ready to go and all I'm doing is clicking or I'm putting on Facebook where it's scheduled and it posts to my Instagram as well. So people don't know and they're like oh, I saw you. Where are you in the world, are you now? I'm like, I'm home.

Paula 59:53

Yeah, yeah, I'm calling you the picture and I don't post real time, so you, and just cause we look good outside doesn't mean we ain't financially struggling and shit. Yeah, I might have bought those things when I was supposed to go on vacation and I come to my vacation so I have clothes in my in my closet that have tags from two years ago. I remember when Charlotte Ruth was pretending to close down and he went on sale and I bought a bunch of stuff and then after a month they reopened but I never want the stuff. They still have tags, so I might step out looking good. That doesn't mean, oh, I still have money to shop or shit. I just have a lot of shit in my closet that just haven't been worn. And I mean we lost our COVID during COVID all year and a half that we didn't go out. So we do have some clothes that we will show people. So I feel like people get.

Paula 1:00:43

Oh, because I saw her out or because I saw her Well here on Instagram. Sure, she was party. Maybe I was invited. I was in the one buying the bottles. I was forced to go there. Oh, I needed to make an appearance because of my brand or anything. But people feel like because they see what you post on social media, they know your life or they're like oh, you're okay, we need to stop that.

Tamara 1:01:05

Yeah, and these rose-gulled glasses that we portray. You were thinking oh well, everything is good and everything must be. It's like you don't know, on a day-to-day basis where you have to get up and check to make sure my son is breathing. He has chronic lung disease, so anything can change overnight. For me so it's even though they're older now, I still have children that I have to check on. I still have to be a mom. I still have to be a partner. I still have to be a mother.

Paula 1:01:33

You don't switch the mom, switch off. However grown they are, you're always gonna be a mom. I mean my dad. If my dad could switch a button off from being my father, he probably won, because I'm 34. And I still, when I'm having a bad day, I literally call my dad, crying dad, and he gets frightened because I'm here alone and shit. And I'm like damn, I'm still 34. My dad feels like this about me like richly, and one thing you'll be like don't go drinking. Now you know, when you start drinking, while you're sad, you get depressed and then he starts getting worried and I'm like, damn, now I put that on my dad when he didn't need that. But speaking of social media, social media is transformed by artists and designers share their work with the world. It reaches much more people, but it also brings as much. As more praises come, also more criticism come as well with it. How has this platform impacted your career and how do you engage with your audience through these channels?

Tamara 1:02:35

Social media. I think for me you know it's funny because my following really hasn't changed over the last maybe three to five years right, the same consistent people that have been following me that follow me now. I haven't had that old viral moment or whatever. Yes, I had viral moment where sales were tied with the wrong, where my swimsuit, my dress, my leggings yes, I had an impact on sales, but I think overall my core following is the same people who have followed me all these years, so it almost became family, right, is it? People who come in to see me at WSL.

Tamara 1:03:11

So social media can break you if you allow it to break you, because their posts are posts and they're only 15 likes that come on there. But then I get the same orders from those people who don't like. Some people don't like that. There's certain things. I'm not really a big TikTok person as I haven't migrated to that because I'm doing everything myself. So it's kind of hard, like you know, people always say, oh, I forgot to film the beginning and the end of this piece. It's like, yeah, half time I'm not filming because I forgot to film or engage with customers when I'm painting live in the store. But social media is important. It's a way for people to see, and inside of what it is that I do, who I am. Outside of it, I think, going forward, I may let them in a little bit more into my personal life. Every now and then I post my son, one of my sons. The other two I don't usually post.

Paula 1:04:06

I mean, I loved it during the graduation season.

Tamara 1:04:10

You were literally embracing that, I was living for that, I loved it, but I'm not allowed to post him in the other twin anymore. He's on the phone, he's working, so he's like no, not now.

Paula 1:04:25

And eventually kids get to that phase. Like mom, I don't want to be on your social media. Leave me out of it.

Tamara 1:04:32

One told me legally you can't post me without my permission anymore. I was like, really.

Paula 1:04:39

Dang it. You know what it's legal on you. How about that? How about that?

Tamara 1:04:47

You're like. I wish I was in Jamaica and I was on a bus, but she's not like that was like why, if you don't go somewhere with that foolishness?

Tamara 1:04:57

But it's one of those things about privacy, because people think they know you just because they see you on social media, some people make assumptions. So if you go into my DMs and talk about criticism, it's like why are you not painting certain things? Why do your paintings look like that? Why are they so expensive? Because I work hard to create these things, but you do it so quickly. Just like Picasso said, don't worry about the time it takes me to paint it. It's a skill level.

Paula 1:05:30

And if I did it quickly, that means that I've become very good at it, but that doesn't change the fact that my work is valued at this. Being quickly means do you know how many years I've been doing this shit to the extent that I've gotten to a place where I'm doing quickly.

Tamara 1:05:47

Where I can sit down in front of people. Most artists can't paint with other people going around. Oh yeah, I have hundreds, sometimes, people walking by me, knocking on the window. Hey, thank you, it's exciting. You know, you'll see a video. A friend of mine came by to see me on Sunday and he's videotaping as he's walking up to the store and they're painting and I see him and I'm like, hey, I like to see everybody else who comes to the window and it's always the funny thing that people are so engaging with me through this window, because I'm the lady who sits in the window and paints.

Paula 1:06:23

And social media, my social media, you need to do a painting of the lady on the window.

Tamara 1:06:28

And that's ideal. I need to do a self portrait of the window, but it's funny because people find me after on social media and say, hey, I saw you, what's up, and you were painting, oh on social media. Yeah, so you know it's that Achilles heel. You know, you just never know. So you just take it for what it is and, you know, keep posting and hoping that one day the right thing to do is work.

Paula 1:06:56

Embrace the good outfit and fuck the rest, because I feel like there is so much good out of social media. But if you allow it to get into you, because when I didn't have my podcast, when I had my personal account, it would affect me and my mental health because I used to compare a lot Like, oh my God, I'm this age, how come I don't have this and this and somebody my age is doing that. So I used to always disappear, I would deactivate my account. But right now I have a podcast. It needs social media in order to reach people. I can't disconnect or whatever, but I do allow myself to get breaks from posting.

Paula 1:07:35

But I also learned that I am following any page that makes me feel any other way. And I learned that, listen, comparison is the death. When you start comparing because you don't know how they started, you don't know their journey. Everybody's journey is different. They might have started as well with nothing and they work so hard until they go where they are. And then there's those people who had trust funds, there's those people who had savings, there's those people who had, but just because I'm going paycheck to paycheck doesn't mean there's nobody else who's also went to paycheck to paycheck and ended up making it. So I just wanna see.

Paula 1:08:10

So what it made me realize is follow accounts that represent you and your positive image. The rest I'm following. Don't engage your negative Like. I don't even delete the negative comments. You wanna leave a negative comment? By all means, I'm not gonna delete it. I'm not gonna make you feel like you're wrong. You're allowed to, whatever the fuck you wanna say, but I'm also not. I have the right to not give you the energy that you're looking for. Not engaged.

Paula 1:08:36

And I think once you get into that mindset it becomes because social media, because I started my podcast during COVID. I don't think without social media I would have gone so far and I would have made the connections I've made, because I've made a lot of amazing connections through podcasting, but also because it happened through social media. I have so many people I know in Canada who have even been invited to weddings and shit and I haven't met them in real life because of the connection we made. And I know I know so many people in the world. When I'm ready to travel around there, I know I don't have to worry because the power of social media is done.

Creating Art and Its Cost

Paula 1:09:16

I did one and somebody left a review that they don't even know me. I don't know how they came across my podcast and they're in Australia and they're like, oh my God, I was just talking about this with my partner and I'm glad you say this and I was like and you left a review and you don't even know me and you're thousands of miles and you found me because of social media. Well, my own family and friends right here ain't leaving me reviews or shit, mother fucker. So your work spans across international boundaries Because you are internationally non-miscommon. So how do you, how do you culture, influences from different parts of the world find their way into your designs?

Tamara 1:10:06

Well, like this in itself, the Masai people?

Paula 1:10:11

I think I don't I need to trace my heritage in that sense, but you know, Masai people come from Kenya and Tanzania and I'm from Tanzania, so those are my people.

Tamara 1:10:22

This, for me, is one of my most important pieces, so my work is influenced by African diaspora, cuban, haitian, of course, jamaican art. So when I think about that, I think about color, I think about imagery of people and the struggle that we've been through, but also the simplicity of who we are and resilience that we use and we exhibit and exude. So, for me, all these influences of colors as I talked about, you know Masai, with the red that they wear and these very intricate details of their ornaments and things like that, I translate that into the earrings and bring all that together. But there are most of my clients are actually in Canada or in the UK, which is funny.

Paula 1:11:15

Canada, canada, canada. They're killing it. I feel like Canada people are so nice I don't know why, but the support is different.

Tamara 1:11:26

The Caribbean diaspora in Canada. They understand work and they appreciate art. I think sometimes here in the US it's a cultural thing. It's just like am I gonna pay money for that much art? I think we appreciate art differently.

Paula 1:11:42

Yeah, people in America like bargaining, even for the smallest. But if it was a celebrity they would pay a lot of money for a celebrity's handkerchief or sheet on eBay and Amazon. But once it's small businesses, they're constantly looking for a bargain. Like even at home goes you'll find something is already mucked down, and they're still like it's crouched here and here and here. I'm like no, I used to literally say no. I'm like don't call me, cause I'm gonna say no, let them deal with somebody else cause, come on, man, it's already discounted.

Tamara 1:12:19

They still want more of a discount and they don't understand that art is something that's appreciated. It doesn't appreciate Art work always appreciates. So when you do that, it's an investment. It's an investment and it's something that creates generational wealth.

Tamara 1:12:33

A lot of the wealthy people that you see, they pass down artwork because just like gold it appreciates it stands still and the older it gets with artwork, or the more known this artist becomes, or the older this canvas is or whatever it is, the more it's appreciated. But they don't understand that. And having real artwork so from one of my things that I do is try and have different price points with my artwork. So I have people who just want a small piece very many school, whatever it is and I create. So I create different budgets. But what happens is that even when I create, as you said, on a lower end, they're always like why is it so expensive? And I'm like do you know how much paint costs? Do you know how much iron costs?

Paula 1:13:17

They feel like you know and I understand talent because I do most of my shit by myself, right, and I see how much work I put in. I have an illustrator, oh, anytime he works on my shit and I ask him the price in the beginning he used to get giving me a whole description of why it's this. I'm like you don't have to do that. Just tell me your price. If I can afford it, I'll tell you. Yes, if I can't, I'll be like next time, or how much can I get for this? You know he's like oh, paula, the thing is in Tanzania people don't appreciate that.

Paula 1:13:56

I feel like I'm so used to having to explain why it's that much. I'm like well, I understand art and your talent because it's your time, it's your. The pencils, the color, like all that. The electronics, the electricity, all that comes into play. People feel like it just oh, but you did it for five minutes, but that's five minutes out of my fucking time, which I could have been doing something else. So I was like I don't ask for discount. If I can afford it, I'll buy it. If I can't afford it now, I'll come back later. And if you give me a discount, that's so new but I'm not gonna and I feel like that's what friends and family they're always like. Give me a discount. No, you should be the person buying extra and giving me a tip on that, because you know the struggle I'm going through creating this.

Tamara 1:14:49

B기여서. Als Gore, absolutely, absolutely, that don't get it, and that's things for the family thing. But I know you, I know where you're coming from, like we grew up together. I remember I was in class with you or whatever it is, and it's like, yes, but I don't come to your job at Colgate or whatever and say, well, are you just going to give me the box with Colgate? No, because no, you are a line manager. Whatever you are, that's not your job to do that.

Paula 1:15:17

And did you stay up with me. Did you stay up with me all night Just because you know me and we went to school? But have you stayed up with me Because I would gladly give you a discount. If you have been staying up with me at night, if you have been sharing my shit, if you have been inputting all my ideas, I do not have a problem giving you a discount. But if you've even shared my post you don't share, but you're constantly sharing beyond selling at them too If you come on now, bitch my full price. Actually I have double the price for you.

Tamara 1:15:46

Definitely. But yeah, people don't understand that what you said the electricity, the tools that we use the time, because remember that one painting needs to probably share about 20 times before it's sold. With a shirt on social media, that means that we have to have our accounts up with our website going. We have to think about all of the different factors that play into that cost.

Paula 1:16:09

And all these places, some places where you have to pay the monthly fee, like the internet, the website, you know you have to pay for your domain. You have to pay for your hosting, you have to pay. I have a podcast. I pay for my podcasting. I pay for the places where I use for creating, like the Conver, you have to pay for premium. If you want all the good, all these monthly fees. End of the month you end up being like I'm spending 500 on all these applications of 30, 10, 15 per month Exactly, and people don't factor those things.

Tamara 1:16:44

and for me as a business owner for processing payments, you know I have to think about. It's like oh well, so-and-so, I have to pay taxes, I have to process the chart, all these different things that go into it, and they're just like, oh well, that seems like a lot. Then I appreciate your feedback. Thank you so much, you know, and all the best. And that's where I've kind of had to, as you said, not take it personally with where it's a business and concern.

Tamara 1:17:10

Or somebody orders something and I say 10 to 15 business days before it ships out, because it takes 10 to 15 business days to do it and people don't understand.

Tamara 1:17:20

It's like well, why can't you do it now? Because it's a process to wrap a painting, to get everything together, to put corners on it and all these different things depending on the size of it. You have to get a box that goes along with it and all these different things. And people don't think or even artists don't think about those things and factor those costs into the overall cost. Somebody purchasing something online costs more than somebody purchasing in person, because the preparation is a longer time. So they have to think about that too, but it's not something that is the artist, or sometimes the consumer thinks about, and that's why I mentor other artists, I mentor other entrepreneurs for them to think about those additional costs that come along with operating a business right A cell phone cost, because you have to call people, you have to text people, you have to go back and forth, and those are the things that you have to do.

Paula 1:18:10

The internet.

Tamara 1:18:12

The gas to go to go get the supplies, because some things you can buy online, yes, but there's certain things that you want to go and touch and feel to make sure it's the right thing. So when we think about that, we think about the operating cost.

Paula 1:18:24

Even buying online, not everything you can get on Amazon. And if you have Amazon, unless you're paying Prime, which you also have to pay for it to get it in two days, otherwise some places you still have to pay delivery fee.

Tamara 1:18:39

So it is those things that go along with it. So, going back to international, the importance of international is understanding what works in certain countries, what doesn't work, what sells, and understand your market and I think that has been one of my greatest achievements is managing and maintaining my clients that I do have who are international and I'm shipping to different countries and being able to provide something different each time. Right, there's some people I tell them you don't need another painting right now for your home, as much as I need the business. No, because I have to think about my consumers and my clients that they can respect me to say, hey, I'm not trying to sell you something at all times.

Paula 1:19:25

Yeah, I'm like okay, now you need some pillows, now you need some. Yeah, but enough with the painting. I would love to sell you another painting.

Tamara 1:19:31

Where are you going to put it? Where's the space? Because you don't want them to overwhelm themself or put themself in a financial situation where it becomes a strain, where they regret a purchase.

Paula 1:19:44

Yeah, and also for them just to buy it and just pile it on storage or anything, because I don't want my shit to just go sit in the storage collecting dust. I don't have it with me, you know, might as well. Just so would you say, all those fucked up into how you do your pricing for your pieces, because that was going to be a question.

Tamara 1:20:05

Yes, it does do that because, depending on the size of the canvas, the quality of the canvas, that I'm using, the paint I'm using, the seasonal things that are things that affect those costs and depending on where I'm going, because when I'm in a gallery, a gallery can charge me 30 to 50% just to list my items in that gallery, so then of course, the gallery cost is going to be different.

Paula 1:20:31

Yeah, and that's not true, because I had a guest called Ryan Steffi and he has a. He paints and he also does boroughs. He's in Kentucky, so he's going to actually make a borrow with my logo. He does amazing work and I found them through Instagram somehow and then I sent him a message because I love this work and how he does it, because he sometimes records himself on how he does it, and he came on my podcast. I had watched him create this amazing painting from when the canvas was open throughout the process. This was all the way in January and I was like I want that painting. I was like Paula, I don't even know if I'm going to sell it or how much I'm going to sell it. I'm like I don't care. I'm going to sell it because when I saw the finish part, it was so beautiful and the fact that I felt like I was already connected to it because I saw it from the canvas being open to when he was struggling to figure out how he was going through, because he documented the entire sheet and I was watching. And when we came on my podcast, we talked about it and I was like I want it and he told me. I was like, okay, it's going to be 250. I was like, cool, he's like you, sure. I'm like I saw you how you went through it. I was like, well, shipping is also going to be on you. I'm like, bring it on. So I ended up paying almost 300 and something for it.

Paula 1:21:51

And when it came, it came like a really big ass box and I did that all video for unboxing it and my roommate looked at it and said Paula, this is such a nice painting. So that's two paintings. It's literally still in this box over there. I did the unwrapping and then I put it back on his box. I'm like I can't wait for my new place to have all these paintings. And when I showed it and she asked me how much it was and I told her and she was like you know what I would pay for that and I was like why? You know, because, out of curiosity, I like being here she was like it looks like that's so much like the texture. I think he used oil because the texture and I was like and I've seen much other paintings being more expensive. I feel like that's even what she was like. But I was like I'm glad you understand how painting and because she shops at home goes and I've been at home goes.

Paula 1:22:47

I've seen paintings how the prices vary, sometimes as small these things can be bigger than the one. That's because of the differences of what's on the on the canvas. So sometimes people think, oh, because it's bigger, it should be more expensive. It's worse on the detail on the canvas and until today was surprised that I paid, that. I'm like who is that?

Appreciating Artists and Collaboration Influence

Paula 1:23:12

If you appreciate art, you're going to pay for it. If you can't afford it, you're going to say it's not my time right now. But if you're going to negotiate on art, then you really don't cause. I've watched you struggle with this piece. I've seen you create it, so I know it's worth that because of how much sweat you went through it. I'm not saying and I can draw, so I'm not saying whatever, but it's how you created it and it's such a beautiful piece and I can't wait to. I have two of the most amazing pieces that I can't wait for. But that ought to say that people need to appreciate artists, just cause they just oh, this is the talent, oh, they're good, they can do it for these hours, it doesn't fucking matter, you don't know what goes into their head, and people need to learn to do that. To that say, actually also speaking of that, I'm going to need to buy you a stand cause, I feel like, for your new season. Right, you do need to start documenting the behind the scenes for your social media.

Tamara 1:24:19

I do, I do, I do. It's so fun.

Paula 1:24:23

So what I'm going to do, let me show you this. You see, I have this bigger stand over here and actually I have an Amazon wish list and one of my friends bought it for me for my birthday. Shout out to Gimbo. And it's so amazing because it goes as high, it goes as low and then you can also remove it and it becomes a selfie stick and it has the connector for your phone. So I'm going to get you that. That way, you just put it at the back of wherever you're painting. Sometimes you also you know fast forward, the fast forward. It makes the video so nice. If you just put your phone there, you don't nobody needs to hold it or anything and you just place where you're. You're. Just make sure you put your phone on airplane mode at that time for a few hours and just because that's content. So that's going to be my present for you. I'm going to go on Amazon, send me an address after this. I'm going to go on Amazon and order this shit for you, because you need that and I want to see I feel like for social media, especially when you're a brand, especially an artist, people who love seeing that behind the scenes.

Paula 1:25:31

They want to feel like I I saw, I don't. I don't know if I would have bought that painting of Ryan if I hadn't seen the behind the scenes or anything. Maybe I would have seen, or maybe when he would have told me the price after he finished it, so I'd be like I can't afford it. But because I saw it from the beginning it felt like, oh my God, I'm so connected, I feel at home with this.

Tamara 1:25:55

So that's my the one. And joke is, I saw wet paintings because people watch me paint these paintings in store and they will purchase them. Sometimes I've not finished them. Oh, you met the girl who came in. Yes, so I wasn't even finished the painting and she bought it. It was wet.

Paula 1:26:13

It was this time, because people do love seeing it like oh my God, I feel like I was right there when this was created. That already adds to the story they're going to share. So that personal touch, that's very well, even if you end up selling it before you put it. But once you put it, when you put that video, people will be like oh, next time I want, or maybe they want. Those people who haven't been to see you paint in your shop will be like oh my God, I need to go see that Cause, especially when they see also the movements of you waving at people people, not you know that it all creates the excitement. Sometimes people need the excitement, even though the painting is already excitement. They need that something else to kind of push them into that direction.

Tamara 1:27:01

I agree, and I said that. You know, keep saying September. I may do it before, especially with Reggae Fest. I'm going to paint in live at Reggae Fest. That's another thing that I'm doing. So I'll be on site. So I'll test that out too and see how it is. When people come over and see, I'll paint someone. I'm there to speak in Now record.

Paula 1:27:23

I'll get a proper record, yeah, yeah, and sometimes even going live. It doesn't matter if people are watching or not, because it already ends up being a video on your, on your wherever. So, yeah, that does work. Let's talk about collaborations, because With anything artistic podcasting if you're in this world of creating, collaborations are a big part of that world. So collaborations can spark incredible creativity. You know, when you put two different pieces together, two different people, sometimes you might even not feel like, why are you all trying to make me collaborate with this? There won't be magic. And then you'll be like, damn, that's magic I didn't expect from this collaboration. So what would you say? Have you ever done any collaborations with other artists and designers from different fields and, if so, how did those collaborations influence your work?

Creative Blocks, Sentimental Jewelry, Collaborations

Tamara 1:28:21

I did one collaboration. It was not what I expected. I had a positive look on it and it didn't end up being that way the person who was distorting the work. I've already created it and it didn't go how I thought it would go. I've collaborated with other brands, been in stores and sometimes people's vision is just not the same and it's worth it. Ethics are not the same. My biggest and best collaboration has been with West Elm Again, I keep saying it, with some Avalon and West Elm Chelsea.

Tamara 1:29:00

Being able to paint live in store with my artwork hanging in the actual stores and being sold in the actual store. It makes a big difference for me and my takeaway from that was you just never know what can happen. You have to be ready for certain things. Two and a half years ago, when I walked into the first West Elm and was featured oh sorry, my thing here as I was featured in the Ponsetting Market, the whole thing went away here Ponsetting Market store. The expectation wasn't that I would be in all these different West Elms or be able to travel to different West Elms and debut my work and show my things in Houston, in Miami, in Orlando, going all over the place, hopefully heading to Austin this year, going into new spaces and creating things that people didn't think about. So when I'm in West Elm, I create a design brief for clients. I can, based on the rug that they pick up, I can paint a painting right in there and in three hours they can come back and pick this painting up. Nobody else does that. So how do you create your own niche? How do you have a turnkey solution for clients? How do you present to organizations?

Tamara 1:30:21

I think that collaboration itself was great. Collaborating with the wedding, with Davis Bridal, with Men's Warehouse, together to do the Brides Expo was amazing. I would love to do that again. Where I did the Resort Ware line the other day. Collaborate with the Jamaica Tourist Board to showcase the Resort Ware line again. Being able to diversify, if you will, my portfolio in the sense of what I can offer, and again going back to being the artist and designer and the creative force behind a lot of things. It's easier for me to make decisions and to be able to say what we can do, what we can't do. Yes, eventually I'm going to need an entire staff to do that, but in the meantime it just means I get up two, three hours earlier to play different roles, to be able to collaborate.

Tamara 1:31:17

Another collaboration was with the Village Realty Group where I staged Amelie and Lola Home with them To be able to put my artwork into a home. People can actually see real artwork in a home and not just prints and nothing against prints, but their appreciation, if you will, and people coming into an art show versus the traditional open house. So it gives a different stage of clientele as well. The partnership and collaboration with Art Messo to have my show in Times Square last year, as well as for two and a half years being the artist in the residence at the Aloft Hotel in downtown Atlanta. So I redid an entire hotel lobby with my pillows, my paintings, everything else. For two and a half years I was the artist in the residence there. So there are a few. So you have to go in the back, you always have to come along with that and being able to pivot when things don't work and pay the tuition and keep it moving.

Paula 1:32:25

And I'm glad that the bad collaborations did make you stop from still into collaborations, because look at what the other collaborations are and it's so important one thing you mentioned to know your values, because when you're collaborating with somebody, make sure your values and your beliefs stand, because you don't want to collaborate with somebody who has different values with you and when you're working together, it's like but you don't believe in what that company is actually promoting, but here you're collaborating with them. That's how you end up losing your people. So collaborations are important and very important in the growth of your, because you can get far by yourself, but you can get further with collaborations, with the right collaborations. So be mindful and I'm glad that you took, because look at all these amazing shit, like all these amazing collaborations, like damn girl. So I want to say that many artists and designers do face creative blocks, including even podcasters, content creators. How do you overcome such challenges and keep your inspiration flowing when the creative block happens? Do you get creative block?

Tamara 1:33:43

I was just thinking. That's like do I have time to get creative block? So I create 102 different products, so most of them are.

Paula 1:33:54

If you can't concentrate, on one thing you just move.

Tamara 1:33:56

Okay, the hats are not working today. I'm going to do the earrings.

Paula 1:33:59

The earrings are not.

Tamara 1:34:01

I want to do the literally, that is that happened today. Like I'm packing things and painting hats at the same time, so like this is one of the hats too I was working on today, and so you know I can do my camera all the way.

Paula 1:34:18

Oh my God, yes, oh yes, I can see my dad, cause I like how it's it's brown and blue. I mean, is it gray, blue and the feather?

Tamara 1:34:30

A guy can rub their hats, yeah, and that's the thing, it's masculine enough, it's feminine, it's unisexal. You know all that. And then I was doing earrings and then I was like, oh, I have to paint my snowman and thing from not practice, so to have it ready for the not crack, that's like. You know, we have a neutral color here when so it's put all those together and having those ready because fall is coming. You know we're in August right now.

Paula 1:35:02

Summer is over.

Tamara 1:35:03

The holidays are here.

Paula 1:35:04

I told people, as soon as July is over, next thing you know it's Halloween, thanksgiving, christmas, bye, bye, 2023.

Tamara 1:35:11

I painted this one today too, where you can see, you know, for people who want a little color, a little sass still, because these bright colors are in. You know, 70s is back and the look is back.

Paula 1:35:23

Oh yeah, I need a podcast ahead, like I need you to paint ahead for podcasts.

Tamara 1:35:30

Yeah, so when I don't feel like painting or you know, it's been five days since I've been painting and then started design, because I have to design for next year and bring new swimsuits out and new leggings out you know fall is coming. I have to pivot to pullovers now and putting all that out but still maintaining my resort work, because I still have people who are in Jamaica who order things from me, or people who are going on vacation and there are honeymoons that are going on. So it's what's the next product? And I talk about collaboration. I'm collaborating with a designer who designs cards and we're debuting that this weekend. And so how do we continue to evolve? You know it's all about evolution and it's all about being resilient and understanding that without tenacity, without being open, then there's no growth.

Paula 1:36:24

Right. So so true, very true, and I love that. I mean when I try not to go to your website because I want everything and I'm like Paula finish paying off this debt and getting yourself back into track and then we can go. We're going to get into all this, but you have incredible pieces, like when I look at your swimsuits, when I look at your leggings, when I look at your like Tim, god, can you have some ugly ass pieces over there so that it can be like you know?

Tamara 1:36:56

I don't. I have two pieces too. I have different two pieces that I wear and I create and I put all these things. So, yes, it's amazing.

Paula 1:37:08

We all got check out our website. She has incredible things and she has something for everybody. Like you cannot tell me you are not going to find something for you in there. Like, oh my God, don't get me, don't even get me started on the handbags, because when I tell you, if she was going to give us free out on that, we would have been fighting. The ambulance would have been called Firemashes, would have been called Octavia, would have called the police on us because it would have been hectic in that building because only the hat was crazy, I don't know.

Paula 1:37:39

But let's talk about this. Joys in particular. You know, joys often carry sentimental value for people Like I know, when I'm a ring person, most of my rings, when I buy them or anything like, I'm very particular on the rings. I choose these on. I'm not a very jury person, but I'm a very ring person and I know people are, like they're, very more sentimental with their juries, right? So could you share a story of a piece you designed that had a special significance to someone, highlighting the emotional connection of the work he created?

Tamara 1:38:19

Well, the thing where my neck is my Pandora charm that I created you even create Pandora, just damn God.

Paula 1:38:30

I feel like I'm paying all my debt for you to just take all my coins, like damn God. Can you slow down?

Tamara 1:38:37

I won't take it. I won't, I won't. I think for me it's important. Again, representation is important. When I went to Pandora to celebrate after my solo show last year, I went to the Times Square Pandora and they had nothing that represented women and women of color, women with curly hair, or even that dancer because I'm Again, my sliver with my dancers is what I've known most for, and so I didn't see it. So I decided to create it and then I decided to then partner with them and with the Blenheim store to create these pieces that we were at every non-nense. We'll release them coming up in September gold and silver and rose gold as well, and they have dancers has my name on the back of it.

Paula 1:39:28

What the freaking fuck. You collaborated with Pandora and the release is coming in September. That's what you're telling me.

Tamara 1:39:35

I'm with re-release them. I will go ahead and post them on my own and then I will sell them and not through Pandora.

Paula 1:39:44

I like that. I like that. Amen, oh my God. And it's funny because this episode is coming out in September, so tell us more. Put it out there, so that people can show each other again. Let people see what they can get in September.

Exploring Artistic Concepts and Product Development

Tamara 1:40:03

In September we will have our Pandora charm. So this one is a double sided one because this is mine, so this is very special, where I have two different dancers on this one. And then, of course, I have the Pandora dream. So my business is called three dream designs. So I want to make sure that I have the dream as well as the Pandora charm, and being able to showcase again Women, women of color. They're different ones. They're one of the little girls on my bracelet here. This one has a polo. Polo here you can't see it, but on the back of it says dreamer. So I do have a whole bunch of Pandora charms and all of my various symbolic to who I am and why I do what I do.

Paula 1:40:46

You better hit me up once those come with them. Sooping data not. I want in on that, okay.

Tamara 1:40:52

Yes, ma'am.

Paula 1:40:54

Now, as we are talking about that, right from concept to completion, because you know you start with the concept, paint it and it completes what's the most rewarding part of the creative process for you.

Tamara 1:41:09

The painting.

Paula 1:41:11

The painting she's like. I want it to be done, but, oh my God, no, it's done. Now I gotta think about something else, something new.

Tamara 1:41:20

I paint, and when I'm painting I'm already thinking about 102 different products. So I say how does this painting translate into fabric? How does this painting translate into a mug? Can I put this figure on a mug? Can I put it on an ornament? Which I'm working on ornaments right now. You know how do I create the time. It's the time. You know. I have to have these again by September. Everything ready by September. So we're in crunch. So again we're back to our corporate standpoint. It's time for us to put out Christmas things from a corporate standpoint and fall, winter things. So we wouldn't that same cycle that at home falls, or all these different big organizations, the same cycle I follow. So we're going into fall colors and fall paintings, fall decor, holiday, christmas things as well. But when I do a painting even though it'll plan a painting once it's done I think about what does it look like? What would it look like on an actual thing? So it's how do I create? I'm gonna move the camera here.

Paula 1:42:35

Move it this way, yeah, and then again this side. Okay, this side. There we go Right there, perfect Right in the middle.

Tamara 1:42:44

So you put it on a mug, right, and you put it. How do I translate color onto a mug and have it?

Paula 1:42:54

Yeah, I know.

Tamara 1:42:55

I'm turning the wrong, so you can see it. So how do I?

Paula 1:42:58

Oh my God, she's, messed yes.

Tamara 1:43:02

And she believes, which is the biggest mantra that I have with it.

Paula 1:43:06

With the butterfly. Is that a butterfly?

Tamara 1:43:09

Yeah, and then the leg ends. It's quality of the fabric. There's a color gonna be bright enough when we have the dresses.

Paula 1:43:19

And I've touched the material. It's so comfy. So you remember that bug where you feel those clothes and you made this yeah, think about, that's the bugger one. That bug could feel a thousand, and I loved how it was indifferent, like, oh my God, that's why I haven't visited you anywhere, cause I'm like I would want everything the color and the scar.

Tamara 1:43:43

I was making sure that we are. You know things that are colorful and we have it. And then we have a dry fit shirt for men. How does that painting?

Paula 1:43:55

Oh my God, look at that. Oh my God, that's such a beautiful tribal shirt, thank you. And it looks like I'm not touching it, but it feels so soft. You know those, yes, I love those types of shirts.

Tamara 1:44:11

So it's doing that and then saying my swimsuits are reversible, the bikinis are, so it's on one side and the next day you can wear it on the other side.

Paula 1:44:23

Oh fuck, you get two in one.

Tamara 1:44:25

Yes. So it's talking about concept and thinking about who's going to produce my work the best, who is going to give me the best quality, because I want to stay on long term. This is for Up front.

Paula 1:44:45

Yes, oh yes, it's so beautiful. Oh, my God Thank you.

Tamara 1:44:49

So it's also representation of life. You know what are we going through on a daily basis.

Paula 1:44:56

It's using art to communicate our Wait. Why is your face now a little bit lower?

Tamara 1:45:01

I think I'm moving back. I was going through my bag of tricks here.

Paula 1:45:06

Oh, that's bad.

Tamara 1:45:09

I was like a bag of tricks, but yes, so. And then we have to make sure that talking about the bag is that everything just came out of this bag. You know it's a different bag, but also getting a bag that can hold a weekend supply of clothes. Why is that important? Because we're traveling so much more and don't want to pay a baggage fee, something if you just run away for the weekend or something. It's something that is multi-purpose and being able to use all of that. But again, from concept is, when I'm painting it, I say, okay, will this look good on a mug? Will this look good on a shirt? Can I translate into a blanket? You know these different things and when I'm painting, I always think about color and position and things like that.

Paula 1:45:58

So and I love that. And this is to anybody who says, oh my God, you're expensive or shit. I mean, if you're buying a two-piece swimsuit and it comes two in one, where you probably spend more buying two different ones compared to this, so I feel like rich, charge with the fucking you want to charge. Because I mean I could literally tell the texture of not only the shirt but also the wrapper you had you were showing. It feels so soft and that's just from looking at it you can tell oh my God, I just want to cover myself with that.

Tamara 1:46:42

I test everything.

Paula 1:46:44

It feels like, you know, I know Kashmir is a little bit more, but it feels like the mini Kashmir of me, you know. So, absolutely Charge whatever the fuck you want. So, as we're coming to an end to this, I have three last questions. Looking to the future, what exciting projects or new mediums are you eager to explore?

Tamara 1:47:07

Well, definitely the oil, and also doing some sculptures, if I can. So I'm looking just to delve into other things, to figure some other things out and stretch myself. You know having some stretch goals.

Award Nomination and Connecting in Detroit

Paula 1:47:23

We're evolving, because and it's so sad that you're starting using the oils on the weekend of 25th, because that's when you're going to be back to Wostam I told you I've been looking at your upcoming event, but I will be traveling to Detroit for a night because Tokshi Whipi has been nominated for an awards and I wasn't going to go out because of financial difficulties. And then my mom was like girl, figure a way, because whether you win or not, this is your first award, your first nomination. If you win, trust me, you would wish you were there to receive it and even if you didn't win, you would want to remember the feeling of your first nomination. So, figure it, make it up and be there. And I was like well, can we use your credit card? So we buy my ticket, because right now it's cheap, and then I pay you when I get paid. So we bought my ticket, I booked my hotel and I'm going for a night. And then here's another thing about connections and social media. I'm going to Detroit.

Paula 1:48:31

I don't know anybody in Detroit, but I attend an empowered podcasting clubhouse room every Monday to Friday 7 to 8 am, and one of the girls she lives in Detroit, so when I shared this news. She was like Paula, I'm in Detroit, I want to fucking see you and I had two plus one tickets. So I told her where I was going to be and everything and she was like, yeah, I can't wait to see. I was like you know, I have two plus one ticket. Do you want to come? She was like hell yeah, because in my head I was like who's going to record me? Who's going to shock her? I'm going to be on a table by myself. But I was still like I don't care if I'm going alone or not, I'm still showing up because something tells me I need to be in that room because you don't know what the connections you make in that room will also bring, win or lose. The connections I make in that room might turn into something greater than that award that I was going to win or lose, absolutely. So it's all about showing up and making those connections. So she was like I'll be there with you.

Paula 1:49:32

Then this other guy, actually just today he thought my weekend was this weekend and it wasn't on me I said Paula, how was your time in Detroit? I'm so sorry I wasn't here. I'm like Brad, it's on the 25th. He's like no way Chicken eons and I was like, so I shared with him.

Paula 1:49:47

I was like I still have one more plus one if you want to come. So I'm going to have two plus ones from people in Detroit who have been hanging out with the crowd since January and never met, who are going to be there with me. Win or lose, I get to meet them, I get to enjoy this beautiful night today and who knows what's going to bring out of whatever happens in that room, so that I'm definitely going to come because I've never been to us. I told you I have your upcoming events which we are going to talk about, which we're going to talk about, but before we get to that, how do you envision the evolution of your creative journey as you continue to push artistic boundaries? Because you are definitely pushing artistic boundaries, like you go go.

Tamara 1:50:40

I don't know. I'm coming up with some new ideas, some new things I want to delve into.

Paula 1:50:47

The Queen of Evolving. I'm starting to call you the Queen of Evolving, which I love it, because I feel like in this world, like I tell people, I'm rich and not the person who was a week ago. So if you're going to call me on my bullshit from a week ago, I've evolved, bitch. I've learned, I've grown. I might still say yes to my shit or I might have been like, oh, we're still on that. I've changed my mind because I've learned. I've met people in the way of either taught me something or made me realize something, or shit. We are constantly evolving.

Adapting and Breaking Boundaries

Tamara 1:51:18

So, yeah, yeah, I agree, I said I made a post that I am not the girl I was a month ago and it is so important because so many life changes have happened in the last month. Life is changing, we are changing. Our ability to adapt, ability to create has changed and I am changing. It's our forever changing. So, for me, I want to push some boundaries, seriously push some boundaries, so, but that's what you should fucking be doing.

Paula 1:51:50

You will see them then, boundaries.

Tamara 1:51:52

Push it right out. So I'm going to work on some stuff, hopefully.

Paula 1:51:57

I won't be kicked out of the house.

Paula 1:52:01

Girl, you know I'm always here to support and always welcome back here anytime. So when you're pushing boundaries and you feel like you need a place to constantly talk about that shit, talk shit with me, got you Okay? And also to speak on that, I want to say something. Like somebody made a post and was like why are we constantly asking each other on what books would belong? Some of us do not belong in a box because we are curious beings. Some people are okay with belonging in a box and they're those people like we are, constantly. I wanna be here, I wanna be here, I wanna be here. So there's no one box that fits me and that is okay to not fit in our box.

Paula 1:52:44

I was just telling somebody my last interview and I was like it's funny when people ask me what do you like to do for fun? Cause I'm on dating apps and I get that question a lot and it pisses me off every time somebody asks so what do you like to do for fun? I'm like why do people always seem to ask this question? Cause, one, I don't have one thing that I like to do for fun. The things I like to do for fun depend on the weather, depend on my mood, depend on the season. Like, I love swimming and being in the pool, but if it's so fucking hot I'm not going to the pool when there's AC in the house and I rather be and lately, like this. This is the first summer where I've only been to the pool twice Last summer cause I had a different workflow. I had days off during the week and I like going to the pool in the morning before the sun comes out, when it's still nice, before the kids come in, cause it's summer and shit. But now I work from home eight to five. I don't have the privilege of that, but the time I go out it's so fucking hot.

Paula 1:53:50

I said I'm not as much as I love the pool and I wonder what I'd rather put bubble water, put, fill up my tub and sit in my tub, like here it's water, right. So there's no specific and I hate hiking. But if you tell me if I hike up this there's a beautiful waterfall that I get to jump off or a beautiful sunset, I will do that for that, depending on who I am and what time it is. But I don't like hiking. So there's no box of water if I want. There's some days I want to be a choreographer. There's some days I want to dress up nice and go out for classic dinner. There's some days I want to be bougie. There's some days I just want to be homeless. There's some days you know what it depends on.

Tamara 1:54:39

I fully understand, trust me, half number four. I came on the call. I look like I was homeless. I was in jeans and shirt I mean jeans, shorts and a t-shirt with my flip flops on on the road, being mom and delivery, going to FedEx and everything else and other FedEx people looked at me today like you own a business and but that's life. I don't fit into a box. There's no rhyme or reason to who I am. One day I'm the corporate Tammy, the next day I am the artist, you know, free flowing and whatever it is, but every day I'm mom, you know. Those are the things that are constant in my life. But even mothering, there's not a box for it because it changes every day for me.

Paula 1:55:22

I wonder your kids need you one day. They don't need you, you need them the other day. They're like I hate you. Now they love you so much, mommy. Thank you, mommy.

Tamara 1:55:34

Oh, my God, okay, but I tell people, go ahead. No, no, I mean, and that's it. You have to be able to peer-bots, you have to be able to be the head cook on the bottle washer. You have to be able to be the caregiver and the disciplinarian. You have to be able to be it. All you know. But it's okay to not be strong. On those other days though, like tomorrow, I'm taking the day because I need to recover. My body, my mind, my soul needs to recover from everything.

Paula 1:56:05

And on top of that, it's okay to be outside the box. You don't have to fit in the box. I feel like most of the time people struggle so much into fitting in, but it's okay to blossom out. Actually, I mean, look at Snoop Dogg. I love Snoop Dogg. That's nephew, like this. Man has sung rap, has done weed, he has a gospel album. He has the movies, he has color. He's branching out into everything. What does a Snoop do? And when you look at him, if he wasn't famous and just rich, we wouldn't know, even if he was rich, because he's always in his track suits, right?

Tamara 1:56:47

I mean, I just and one chain.

Paula 1:56:50

I mean, it leaves like he's not one of a big ass rich. Look at for real. Yes, his shirt might cost so much money, but look at how he dresses Just a T-shirt and some shirts. Look at, oh my God, who is Adam Sandler? He looks like the most homeless, motherfucking person in Hollywood. Adam Sandler does not give a fuck. Adam Sandler does not. I mean, I love him so much and that man's net worth. But look at him.

Paula 1:57:20

Yeah, and that's how you Just cause we look homeless or somebody, yeah, or somebody you find him out of. That's not me, cause you are that somebody who looked like, oh and you have a business because of the way you look. Don't underestimate people without they look on that one day, cause everybody's allowed to have a fucking birthday.

Tamara 1:57:41

Yeah, it was, and I've been up since three o'clock so I've been going, going, going. I'm like I went to doctor's office and had paint on my hand still, my fingers between my. You know you can't get nails done anymore because there's no time to get anything, because you're just going and you know, creating and revamping the business after being out for so long. You know I have to be able to do as much as I can do when I can, I'll push myself as so.

Paula 1:58:09

And that's all. Just do what you can, pray and live it to God, cause that's all you can. I feel like sometimes we the pressure from the outwards, that doesn't even matter, cause they're not there, they don't see it, but we get pressurized for shit that doesn't even matter. With that saying you as a mother who juggles so much, as a mother, as a partner, and then as a business owner who not only has one business to concentrate about, cause your business is multimedia, multimedia businesses in one, literally multimedia businesses in one. How do you keep your mental health sane, juggling all these mediums, creatives, responsibilities?

Tamara 1:58:58

I keep saying by using Google Calendar. That's one thing.

Paula 1:59:01

Oh my God, believe it or not, the guy I just interviewed before you was. He said the same thing. I was like Paula, I live with my Google Calendar, cause it's also multimedia. He has like four podcasts and he writes for like six publications and he also does PR. And I was like how do you make your say he's like I live through my Google Calendar. I even have days where I put enjoy yourself. I was like my dad even asked me what does enjoy yourself and I was like whatever I need to do that day to enjoy myself is what I'm gonna do.

Tamara 1:59:41

Exactly. I have a blocked off day off, which is tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day off, so I think for me it's planned in preparation and being, but still being flexible enough. Something happens tomorrow and the day off is canceled. My other thing is water as well. I need to see water in order for me to feel alive. I need to be at the pool, in beach.

Paula 2:00:07

I haven't been to the beach the whole summer, you know because I know Sandy has been posting at beach pictures and I'm like bitch, get the fuck out of my face with your damn ass pictures and beaches, I'm her but I don't love her right now. I'm like I'm this close to blocking you, bitch.

Tamara 2:00:24

Sandy, sandy, I mean, it is about the month and the episode is standing 100 episodes.

Paula 2:00:33

So, sandy, you deserve it, but, damn bitch, you could have invited us, so drag us with you. Come on, bitch. I love you, love you, love you, I will love you, and we are so proud of you.

Tamara 2:00:44

I'm very good, I need water and I need my boys, you know, to keep mental health. For me, mental health is very important and that's why I say it's check on your strong friends. It's very hard. Again. On Sunday my friend came in and he brought me flowers and he didn't know how much I love flowers number one but needed flowers. So those things that keep me balanced. To do people ask what you do for fun. I'm like I paint. They're like that's what you do for a living. Also, I do for fun.

Paula 2:01:15

But when it's your passion, it's both a hobby and yes, so that is it.

Tamara 2:01:21

And I love to cook, so that's also part of my mental health and my stability, or my grounding. I love to cook and bake, but I think for me it's just sometimes just watching something mindless, you know, like last time I went to watch Gone With the Wind, something just to take my mind off of life in itself. And sometimes I do disconnect from social media, I do disconnect from people.

Paula 2:01:47

It's important to do.

Tamara 2:01:49

And sometimes I shut off the phone and shut everything off and you know my kids. Once my kids are here with me and I know where they are, I love my family, but I don't need to talk to my family like that. I want my kids are safe, but I know that they're here with me or if they're not with me, they're somewhere I can track them or everything else then I'm good. So I will disconnect and pivot and do what I need to do once it is done.

Paula 2:02:16

And that's the truth. Me too. On weekends sometimes, if I feel like you know what, I just put my phone on AirPod mode or put it on silent and just hide it and watch shows, that and everything on my phone without. On normal days my phone is always on silent because of school, right, when I was in college I was already used to in the beginning. I used to go to class put it on silent, come out, put it on loud. But in the morning, when you're rushing to go to class, you forget and the next thing you know your phone is ringing in class. So I ended up. Since then my phone is always on silent.

Paula 2:02:51

I did my WhatsApp. My text messages all went on mute. If I don't know a number, it went, it goes straight to voicemail. Now I don't even get notifications because they can be distracting. So unless I open the messaging, I don't see any message. Unless I open the WhatsApp app, I don't see any. Unless I go to my call logs, I don't see any miss calls. And if your number is not saved on me, then I'm literally very sorry because as soon as you call it's taking you straight to voicemail.

Paula 2:03:21

But those were necessary for me and anytime I would go home, right, and I would have my phone right here with me. My dad would leave the house and maybe he forgot something, and he would start calling me and I'm not answering. And then he'll have to call the maid and be like where's Paula? Can you put Paula on the phone, paula, where's your phone? I'm like, oh, right there. And then as soon as I touch it, oh, you're called. He's like what's the point of the phone? I'm like, not to be disturbed, but for a message. And then he goes what if I was dying? I'm like well, dad, I'm not a doctor. If you're dying, you're dying.

Paula 2:03:53

Right, I'm fine. He's like what if I'm supposed to leave you a goodbye message? I'm like that's what voicemails are for, because if you're calling me to tell me goodbye while you're dying, that's not healthy for me. You don't know what I'll do, where I am, who I'm with, what I'll do. I'd rather listen to the voicemail where I'll have it for keepsake for 10, 20 years until I decide to delete it or leave the company or whatever. But if you're dying, I best believe you should call your doctor or fire or emergency, but not me. And sometimes even I'm thousands of months away. I'm like what do you want me to do if you're dying? When I'm in Malaysia and you're all the way into the near, like, come on, man.

Paula 2:04:37

Eventually my dad was like you know what? I give up. Clearly I'm like dad. This is why any time I speak to you, I make sure I let you know I love you, I miss you, because you might die without even having the opportunity to call me. So stop lying that this you calling means because whatever I'm dying, sometimes you're dying and you don't even have the energy to call somebody.

Paula 2:04:59

I am that person who I put my phone on airplane mode on weekends when I don't want to be disturbed. I can be like day to day. I'm not going on social media, and that's very healthy for you, for your peace of mind, for your energy, for anything. And now that I know you like water as well, I'm extending an invitation before the summer ends. If you ever want to hang out with me by the pool because nobody really likes hanging out with me by the pool you're constantly welcome to Sunday Springs to come and cheer with me by the pool before the summer ends. This is your forever invitation from until we stop being buddies, which is probably when one of us dies or one of us moves out of the country. But even with moving out of the country, we can always visit each other. That's the whole point. But, tamar, thank you so much for hanging out with me. I had a blast Bye. Thank you, sheet Talkers, for tuning in and spending your valuable time with us. We appreciate you To connect with us more.

Paula 2:06:08

Make sure you subscribe to our newsletter and catch all the Sheet Talking vibes before anybody else. You can subscribe to our newsletter through our website, wwwtalksheetrepeacom, and all our merchandise website, wwwtalksheetrepeashop. And while you're there, feel free to shop away. Talksheetrepea is available on all social media platforms with our handle Talksheetrepea. Follow us and engage with us. Better yet, if you're feeling generous, give us a review on our podcast and all raters on Spotify. You can also share Abia with me, where my beer lovers are. I mean, what better way to support the movement than sharing Abia with me by buying me Abia at buymecoffeecom. Thank you for listening, sharing, engaging and support in any way that you do. Remember, new episodes are out every Wednesday and for part two is ending on Fridays. Let's talk and all listen to some Sheet Happy Sheet talking.