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

Alright, Tamika thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’re complete cheeseballs and so we love asking folks to share the most heartwarming moment from their career – do you have a touching moment you can share with us?

During my sessions, my clients get really personal and sometimes tell me some of their deepest, darkest confessions. Sometimes they cry, and sometimes they smile, but at every turn it fills my heart with joy, knowing that I can provide an outlet for them.

At one center, in particular, the very first day I met this client, she was extremely distraught. I could see she was distraught emotionally as well as spiritually and physically. I was a listening ear for her and gifted her a bracelet that I had just bought for myself, but I felt like she needed the protection behind it. She ultimately ended up crying at the end of the session and telling me that she knew by meeting me that day that she was in the right place where she was supposed to be. She began to open up to me in ways that she didn’t open up to the social workers, the center owners, or anybody else in the classroom and we cultivated our own relationship.

Months later, during a session, she informed me that I was her “Fairy Craft Motha”. She informed me that she felt stronger in her connection to her deceased mother. Her mom was the backbone of her family, her creative outlet which she greatly missed and was still grieving. She also shared that growing up, Cinderella was her favorite story because of the Fairy Godmother. Every project that she completed incorporated her heritage, her family, and her story. She even went back home and took some of her crafts with her to spread that energy, love, and light in remembrance of her mother. By the time I parted ways with the location she was at she had even brought her brother back and he started healing with her in the journey through art in my sessions. These are the stories that make me continue to do what I do, fight for the acknowledgment of the value of that population.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Tamika Bell and I’m originally from New York City. I was born in Manhattan, grew up in my younger years in New Jersey then moved back to New York before migrating to Arizona in 2012. I have always had a creative nature and started out on my crafting journey officially back in 2005 when I handmade all of the trinkets and ribbons that were given out for my own baby shower. Once I figured out that I have a knack for recreating things I got into the habit of giving custom gifts. I put my own personal touch on the gift so that the person I was giving the gift to would understand that they were loved, appreciated and that time was taken out to specifically craft it for them.

During the pandemic, when I was furloughed I decided to start my own business and we started out cooking as Mystic Belle Kitchen LLC. I was networking around the valley trying to figure out if I wanted to do a food truck, or if I wanted to get restaurant space, did I wanna do catering? Eventually, what I came upon was deciding to migrate away from the kitchen due to not being able to be on my feet for long periods of time dealing with chronic pain and I decided to lean into my crafts. In doing this, I purchased my first Circuit machine and by March 2021, I was doing pop-ups around the valley. I rebranded my business as Fairy Craft Motha with the purpose to provide people with custom gifts that set intentions. As well as help other small businesses with their branding.

During my networking ventures, I ended up at an event inn Phoenix where met one of my mentors, who I am happy to call my Bridge Builder sister, Kurnita Wallace. Little did I know that within a few months Kurnita would reach out to me to see if I could provide some artistic release for s clients that were in substance abuse recovery. I had never ever held a class. I had never ever been in front of a group of people. I had never ever even considered going into the field of behavioral health. Kurnita believed in me and I showed up. Since April 2022, I’ve been traveling around the valley to different substance abuse centers multiple times a week and helping them learn how to get back to the art, get back to the creativity, and use it as a coping skill. Actively helping them continue on their journey to sobriety by giving them something else that they can pick up instead of the drugs.

While working with this population I realized how important art and creativity are. I realized how important it is to let people share their stories. I’m an introvert and art is one of the nonverbal communication skills I use on a regular basis. I enjoy nonverbal communication. Art gives these people the opportunity to express their stories without having to verbally tell their tales. Ultimately, I saw the value in the wellness that comes with Therapeutic Art.

Therapeutic Art is different from Art Therapy. Art Therapy focuses on the psychology of things and the behaviors of the clients. Therapeutic Art, it is literally just that. It is not as confined and restricted as Art Therapy. However, you can gain some of the same exact benefits without the institutionalized structure. I find that this makes even the most skeptical person comfortable in my presence as we go through these projects.

My style of Therapeutic Art provides all of the supplies, set the scene, and gives them some examples before giving the artist free reign with the project. On some occasions, I even do full presentations to motivate the artist within the session. I allow my clients to set their own vibe, and that does mean listening to music, watching TV or if they just want to talk to me or the people around them, they’re welcome to do so. I create a safe space where people can respectfully converse about anything or listen to any type of music. Sometimes these sessions get deep and they do trigger some emotions, and that’s OK. I’m here to help work through them, I’m here to be a listening ear, I’m here to give perspective without, being that daunting authority figure.

I have worked with clients ranging from 8-70 years old. I have done sessions in person one-on-one, group sessions, classes as big up as up to 35 people at a time, and virtually. It just depends on what the client needs and what I’m able to provide. I try to customize each class, event, or session to the needs of my clients.

What I am the proudest of at this point is that I’ve become an advocate for those that are introverted, cannot or will not speak their truth. I give them an outlet, but I’m also comfortable enough in my own skin to speak up for them when necessary. Growing up, I was always so introverted, this is a big step for me every time I speak up for someone other than myself. I know that I’m on the right path. I’m moved to be there for others, to help; whether it’s through them creating an artistic piece or just speaking to me. I’ve realized that mu perspective is valuable to others and I genuinely enjoy sharing it. The old adage is, “Be the change that you want to see”. That’s what Fairy Craft Motha is doing. We are branching out.

We’ve launched our own natural hair and skin care line Amunet Apothecary. Through this product line, we’re hoping to continue the journey of wellness and self-care creating high-vibrational moments through educating and cultivating within our  community.

Amunet Apothecary is a vision of mine that I’m watching come to life every day. There was a point in my life when I wanted to be a hairstylist. Around the time I signed up for school, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. I had to face the reality that my body was no longer able to take the stress of what the life of a stylist looked like. It was a dream deferred. Now I’m circling back into the that industry that I love so much not only to provide a product but to provide education. Teaching people about the self-care and self-love that comes with taking care of your natural or loc’d hair. I’ve been doing hair since I was 12 years old for friends and family. I never got paid for it, it is a creative passion. Now, although I cannot be a stylist the way I intended, I have the products and education to guide the next generation which is very important to me. The products are crafted in collaboration with Noyami Labs out of South Carolina, which is black woman-owned. Some of our products are made right here in my home with my 10-year-old daughter. We handcraft our Sugar Scrubs, Bath Salt and Milk Baths. This is an experience I can share with my child, that bonds us. Not only as mother and daughter but as business owners looking to the future.

All in all, the heart of my business Creative Safe Spaces, LLC. is cultivating safe spaces to create and just be your genuine self. The idea is to give everyone that is willing a safe space to create and do the things that make them happy. Without creativity, humanity will cease to exist. I bring to the table the opportunity for everyone to feel free and comfortable thinking outside the box as we continue to grow forth as a species, human race, and international community.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson that I had to unlearn is that failure is not an option. Growing up, it was always said that failure is not an option. You have to get A ‘s and B’s, pass these tests, and do exactly as told in order to be great. This cultivated an unknown fear of failure within me. For so long, I was so scared of what people would think of me if I didn’t get it right on the first try. I passed up many opportunities to live in my greatness. I had to reprogram my thinking. The reality of life is there is no success without failure. Every failure is an opportunity to learn. Nothing worth having comes easy. I had to break out of the category of being complacent so that I was safe, and just put myself out there. This is not something that came overnight. This is not something that I can attribute to any one person, place, or thing. However, I will say that during my 10 years in Arizona I have grown to live in a different headspace than the hustle and bustle of New York City. I do believe that helped me get to the point that I’m at now. Understanding that a failure is not truly a failure unless I stop.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

If I could go back, I would have bet on myself sooner. I would have trusted my intuition and started my own business way sooner. I am one of the only people in the State of Arizona with the title of Therapeutic Art Life Coach. Actually, I am one of the only Therapeutic Art Life Coaches in the US. I’m spreading awareness that this market is here. In doing this, I’m hoping that I can inspire others to do the same and continue to grow Creative Safe Spaces LLC including other types of life coaches as well to incorporate their ways into the services we offer. The fear of failure stopped me from being an entrepreneur many, many years ago. I just wish I would have found my confidence back then.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/fairycraftmotha
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/fairy_craftmotha www.instagram.com/amunetapothcary
• Facebook: Fairy Craft Motha / Amunet Apothecary
• Linkedin: Tamika Bell

Image Credits
Kurnita Wallace, Robert Bell, Tina Marie Fowler, Jayde Williams