We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Leona Mctaggart a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Leona thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve always loved art and the performing arts as a child and my elementary school report cards reflect that (I was always getting into trouble for talking or acting out). I enjoy using my creativity at work and in my personal life and enjoy seeing the positive reactions from others when they see my designs, try my recipes or after receiving a makeover.

Leona, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got into activities around the 2001. I worked in positions as an activity coordinator/director which allowed me to use my creativity at work. I absolutely love developing different programs and facilitating activities. This runs into my personal life, as I host ‘pup camps” where I develop activities for dogs that I host while their owner is on vacation. From drinking Char”dog”nnay, baking pupcakes and assembling ‘paw”cuterie boards, I strive to keep my canine guests engaged and entertained during their stay.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being creative is seeing the reactions from my clients/the people I serve. Whether it’s something simple as assembling a tablescape or complex as coordinating a large event, when I see people reacting or responding to my work, it makes the ordeal completely worth it.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I’ve known some people who are non-creative have a difficult time understanding my thought process. Depending on the project or event I am working on, it could take me minutes, hours, days, weeks or even months to complete or come to fruition. I wrote a book called “Giocatore”, a romance novel in 5 days. I wrote a cookbook, Leona’s “Lush”ious Lunches, in 9 months. It takes me 2 weeks to fully decorate for Christmas. My creativity is very spontaneous. An idea could come to me immediately or I could ponder on an idea/project for days and weeks.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://createmycookbook.com/products/544637_549564_R
• Instagram: leonamc23
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leona.lavinmctaggart
• Youtube: @LeonaMcTaggartWCIA27

Image Credits

All photos are mine.