We were lucky to catch up with Meagan Tarka recently and have shared our conversation below.
Meagan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
When I was a teenager, I faced various traumatic life events, both big and small. Creating art was my coping mechanism. It was a way to express myself, distract myself, and heal. It lead me to pursue art in both high school and college. I recently graduated from Oral Roberts University, in May of 2022, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education. I found healing, community, and counseling at ORU. During my last semester at ORU, I was presented with my Senior Project requirements. I knew I wanted to create a series of artwork that reflected my journey from experiencing those traumatic events to finding healing and beauty from the pain. In 14 weeks, I created 12 pieces, each in a different artistic medium. Each piece is an anatomical heart that represents a different step/stage/emotion/feeling of the healing process. It begins with deep pain, a pen and ink drawing I titled “Monsters”, and continues through a journey to the final piece “Purification” a porcelain sculpture using the ancient Japanese technique, Kintsugi. While this series is very vulnerable, personal, and intentional to my story, it has been created in a way that anyone can relate to and connect with.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My name is Meagan Tarka, I am 23 years old, I am originally from Colorado but am currently based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I started creating when I was a little girl, always as a hobby. It wasn’t until high school that I became serious about pursuing Fine Arts and continued that passion in College. I plan to continue my education to be a licensed Trauma Counselor and pursue Art Therapy.
After creating The Heart Series, I had various opportunities to display it at conferences, counseling centers, and retreats. With this, I have launched a business to continue showcasing the work at various events. I have created Guided Journals for sale that walk you through the 12-part journey from pain to healing and I am in the process of launching a line of merchandise. I offer speaking, licensing, and display opportunities and services.
More than anything, I want people to know they are safe to explore their stories. I offer my artwork as a doorway into that space for others’ introspection and hopefully, healing. I want people to become fully alive and to do so, I believe they need to understand themselves in every aspect of life. My artwork invites people to experience all parts of themselves, and it speaks in a way words cannot.
You can stay connected with me via my website (meagantarka.com) and my Instagram (@meagantarka).
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is watching others process, absorb, and connect with my artwork. I believe artwork is a language that speaks what words cannot and a tool to captivate an audience. Watching people experience my artwork is truly endearing. At first glance, someone will have the “oh that’s cool” reaction, and then they do “the second look”, where they look, look away, and then look back like “wait, what was that?”. They step closer. They start to see the details. Then they read the description next to the work, and in a few moments, tears well up in their eyes. They begin to relax, pause, and ground themselves into the floor where they are standing. It becomes just them and the artwork and this unlocks an atmosphere of self-connection. All of a sudden they can see themselves in the artwork and they feel seen, heard, and understood. This feeling is what moves them onto the next piece of work, where the process repeats. I have seen hundreds of people undergo this exact process when they step into my gallery spaces. It’s such a beautiful experience to witness as walls are broken down and love shines through.
For me, it’s not about the art, the talent, or the creativity. It’s about the people, the audience. It’s about the meaning behind the work and how a visual representation can engulf someone in a moment, and potentially create a life-changing impact.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think that some people are often unaware of the processes that occur when creating something out of nothing. Non-creatives often see the finished work, framed and displayed beautifully, but are limited in their understanding of the story behind the finished piece. For example, the ideas for The Heart Series were birthed 4 years before I ever started creating something. I spent 4 years in and out of counseling processing my story and rewriting my truth. Six months before I started creating the series, I filled a sketchbook of “mood boards”, of emotional journal entries, of mediums, processes, and materials. I studied the anatomy of the human heart for several months before attempting to draw or sculpt one. Every detail in The Heart Series has a significance that may not be known to the average viewer. As the artist, I don’t necessarily care to share all of those details, but I can reflect them visually for the viewer to interpret themselves, and that is the beauty behind the artwork.
I would encourage non-creatives to ask more questions when viewing artwork. I would encourage them to reflect on what kind of process the artist experienced to be able to frame their work in the gallery they’re standing in. That process, I find is often more captivating than the work itself. That process tends to be a typical human experience that everyone can relate to.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.meagantarka.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meagantarka/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090979921487
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meagan-tarka-0ba0a1225/
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MeaganTarka