We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful TAHARA ROBINSON. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with TAHARA below.

TAHARA, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

From a young age, I knew I wanted to be part of the entertainment world. At around four years old, I was already participating in school dance recitals, and plays. By grade school, I participated in community theater in Frankfurt, Germany. My first significant role was Fagin in “Oliver Twist,” where I played the leader of the pickpocketing orphan thieves. Additionally, I explored visual arts in elementary school. Waking up early on Saturdays to watch my favorite cartoons wasn’t just about enjoying the shows. With my trusty VHS, I would record, pause, and meticulously sketch and color my favorite scenes. The Chipmunks and Chipettes were my favorite subjects.

However, as life progressed, my passions were sidelined by school and parental expectations. Growing up with traditional parents who eventually separated, my artistic dreams went dormant, and my engagement with visual and performing arts went “theater dark” for years.

A turning point came when I was living in Samara Beach, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. There, I rediscovered my artistic self, creating “Tica Del Mar”– “Resurrection,” a blue Avatar-like character that symbolized my internal revival. Over time, Tica became more than a personal emblem of rediscovery; it represented the beginning of my artistic “Rebirth.”

After about a decade as a special education teacher, I felt it was time to revive my dream. In 2017, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. However, life, God, and the city itself had different plans. This unique journey has opened my eyes to the full scope of my artistic abilities. As an evolving artist, my goal is to express my voice through performing arts, visual arts, and leadership. I aspire to inspire others and evoke true happiness by helping them find their own paths to resurrection and fulfillment.

TAHARA, 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?

As a dancer and fitness instructor, I am driven by a deep-seated passion to create a safe and inclusive environment. At Gleaux Dance & Fitness (that’s right, a little fancy – it’s pronounced “glow”), my mission is to help participants discover their “inner glow”. Whether spectators nervously eye the dance floor like it’s a high school prom, bravely diving into the world of green smoothies and quinoa, or already a seasoned performer aiming to enhance both external and internal performance, my goal is for every participant to feel more self-assured, empowered, and deeply connected to their unique Gleaux.

As an actress and writer, I strive to create experiences that evoke perspective-taking, thoughtfulness, and community. I am a Thespian and have played “Daniela” in an “In The Heights” production in Washington DC. Additionally, I had the honor of playing “Anita” in “West Side Story” amongst other great roles like “Diana Morales” in “A Chorus Line”, and more. I moved to LA to pursue film acting – and boy is it a journey. In performances and writing, I strive to tell relatable stories, especially those that people often keep to themselves out of fear, embarrassment, or the belief that they are alone in their experiences. Through writing, acting, dancing, and even visual arts, I want people to know they are not alone in their journeys.

As a visual artist and denim designer, my work in abstract and typography art is deeply rooted in empathy, education, and humanization. I paint on both canvas and denim, creating pieces that provoke thought and stimulate emotions. Three of my favorite pieces are “Rebirth” (38 x 30 – Acrylic & Oil Pastel on Canvas), “Tica Del Mar – Resurrection” (30 x 24 – Acrylic on Canvas, 3 Panels 30 x 12), and from my IMAJ DNM (“Image Denim”) brand, “VIVA”, which promotes healthy human connections.

“Rebirth” (38 x 30 – Acrylic & Oil Pastel on Canvas) is about release and restoration. In a society that carnally defines humanity, dresses you, and creates its version of your identity, you can easily lose your individuality. The world has a crafty way of carving out and molding the “Un-You,” creating a false reality of happiness, success, love, and humanity. “Rebirth” symbolizes a rebellion against this movement. It represents the bravery to release pseudo self-characteristics that were unknowingly accepted, allowing for the restoration of your true, intended self, resulting in authentic bliss.

“Tica Del Mar – Resurrection” (30 x 24 – Acrylic on Canvas, 3 Panels 30 x 12) was born from Nicaraguan art inspiration while I enjoyed my morning coffee in my beachfront home in Samara, Costa Rica. The sound of the waves, the taste of sea salt in the air, and the rich Costa Rican culture permeated through my paint and brush. Tica is a creature of the sea, protected by the magical boundaries of the coast. Like a new baby, Tica is incubated and protected in her surroundings – an enclosed apparatus with a controlled environment for her care and protection in her new form. Much like a caterpillar in its cocoon, Tica awaits the moment of her reveal, symbolizing a complete surrender to personalized transformation. This transformation embodies safety, purity, healing, happiness, contentment, love, and comfort – personalized pure bliss.

IMAJ DNM is an art and denim clothing brand that explores the true identity of individuals. I delve into the notion that societal labels, placed on us from birth, categorize and confine us to safe boxes of culture. However, what if these self-identifiers were not truly who we were? Over the years, societal layers build up, creating garments upon garments that can obscure our true selves. Imagine being weighed down by these layers and still feeling incomplete. Beneath it all lies your authentic identity – durable, raw, versatile, and unique, much like denim. I chose denim for my designs because of its relatable characteristics and – denim’s cool!

My mission? Well, let’s just say I’ve had my fair share of battles with society’s rulebook. Standing at 5’11” as a fit-curvy African American woman of mixed heritage, I have often felt caught in the crossfire of fitting into those oh-so-tight predefined molds society loves to squeeze us into. As I matured, I had an epiphany that life isn’t about blending in; it’s about standing out, shining bright like a disco ball in a sea of beige walls. And so, my journey of self-discovery began.

Through a mix of prayer, facing more challenges than a contestant on a reality show, shedding enough tears to fill a swimming pool, and clinging onto my faith like a koala to a eucalyptus tree, I’ve navigated some pretty choppy waters. Emotional abuse, check. Physical injuries, double-check. Loss? Oh, you betcha. Friendship loss? Yep, that stung. Homelessness? Been there, done that, got the “I survived” t-shirt.

But guess what? Each hurdle, each curveball, has been a steppingstone to unveiling the real me, one with a glow so bright it could light up a stadium during a blackout – like the Super Bowl XLVII in 2013. So, I kept digging, and I’m still digging.

Now, armed with a background in teaching and a knack for talking people’s ears off (thanks, bachelor’s in communications and radio personality gig!), I’m here to help others find their glow, their spark, their inner disco ball. It’s like embarking on an archaeological dig for your soul. You never know what treasures you may uncover.

My mission is simple: To dig deep, shimmy to the beat of your own drum, and uncover the treasure trove that is your true self. Be the David to a Goliath, a Joshua to Jericho, to shout from the rooftops that authenticity is the new black, and to help people find their own unique voice.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Growing up, I saw myself as a lover, not a fighter, and I was pretty inexperienced when it came to relationships. A young, optimistic dreamer, I believed the best in everyone, navigating life’s ups and downs with love as my guide. Confrontation was something I avoided like a root canal without anesthesia, so I became a pro at giving out benefits of doubt like Oprah giving away cars. This expensive generosity led me down a path of vulnerability, hurt, and enough deception to fill a daytime soap opera.

My childhood? Let’s just say the self-assurance and confidence department was on backorder. After my parents split, I chose Team Dad, but our playbook was missing a chapter on emotional connection and confidence-building. I was left feeling like I missed the bus on emotional development. Cue the struggles with low self-confidence and setting boundaries. This left me feeling developmentally delayed compared to my peers, struggling with low self-confidence and boundary setting.

Fast forward to my early adult years, and I found myself in a tangled web of seeking approval, fearing rejection, and tolerating more disrespect than a worn-out doormat. Yep, I was the queen of accepting subpar relationships, all because I couldn’t advocate for myself or assert my needs. Go figure.

Fast forward a bit more and enter therapy and some serious soul-searching stage left. I finally learned to put a cap on my endless supply of benefits of doubt. I discovered that healthy boundaries are like the superhero cape of relationships—they keep you safe, empowered, and ready to take on the world. So, while my journey was challenging to say the least, each misstep taught me valuable lessons and brought me closer to my self-discovery.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

A Guide to Missing the Internet Bus.
Ah, the nostalgia of the ’90s—a time when the internet was a young bird barely learning to fly, and we were teens navigating life without the digital highway we know today. If only the internet “interneted” back then like it “internets” now! Let me tell you, my creative journey could have used a serious Wi-Fi boost.

Remember dial-up AOL? The days when logging on felt like summoning a dial-up demon, screeching and beeping until you were finally blessed with a snail-paced connection. Back then, the vast expanse of today’s internet was but a distant dream. Sure, I adapted and eventually learned to navigate the digital world, but missing out on the internet’s golden age during my developmental years likely stunted my professional growth.

As a teen heading into college, having access to abundant resources is crucial for forming a sound plan for professional development. Choosing the right schools, understanding financial aid—these were mysteries shrouded in the fog of poor school advisors and absent parental guidance. Instead of venturing out, I was stuck in a box, unaware of the countless opportunities out there.

Today’s internet is a treasure trove of platforms for creative expression. Blogging, vlogging, social media, digital art—you name it, the internet’s got it. Having access to this wealth of information can significantly shape someone’s professional journey. My creativity was confined to doodling in notebooks and passing notes in class (hoping your teacher doesn’t find it and read it out loud to everyone), missing out on the digital avenues available now.

Finding your niche is one thing; telling people about it is another. Enter digital marketing—a concept as foreign to my teenage self as teleportation. Growing up in the modern internet era, kids today have exposure to digital marketing principles that make me look like a dinosaur. My 7-year-old niece probably knows more about hashtags and SEO than I do.

Then there’s digital networking, an absolute game-changer for building professional connections and personal brands. Back in the day, networking meant awkward handshakes at career fairs, not sliding into DMs or connecting on LinkedIn. If only I had these digital tools at my disposal during my early career development!

In conclusion, the resources I wish I had known about or had access to during my creative journey can be summed up in one word: internet. It could have been the rocket fuel for my professional growth, allowing me to explore and develop my talents beyond the confines of my analog adolescence. But hey, better late than never, right?

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @tahara.jamil, @imajdnm