We were lucky to catch up with Tanielle Childers recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tanielle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I am most happy as an artist and creative. It’s the lifeline to my most authentic and happiest self. I also work part-time as a graphic designer, and while I do find enjoyment in design, my heart is most at home creating art and writing poetry about my life journey.

Tanielle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Tanielle Childers. I’m 47 years old living in Loveland, Colorado with my best friend and husband of 23 years. We have three beautiful children, ages 19, 15, and 4. I’ve been selling my artwork in and out of galleries for 25 years. I fell in love with art and the creation of all arts and crafts very early on in life. By age 11, I knew I either wanted to be an artist, a writer or both. Being creative visually and poetically have been my outlet and favorite past-time for as long as I can remember. Both feel very natural, liberating, and comforting to me. I sell original paintings, had-painted magnets and coasters with live edges, art prints, poem prints, note cards of my art, stickers, and more. I have always been a believer in following my heart as spiritual fulfillment. My art is most often my happy place and a sort of celebration of my life through color and energy. I am always trying to illustrate the way the subject makes me feel rather than just what I see. It’s never just a flower or nature, or an animal. There’s an energy to everything around us, and I’m trying to illustrate the energy of my own spirit when it feels most alive or the energy of the way nature makes me feel. This world has so much beauty to behold and I’m incredibly grateful for the moments. My poetry is a sort of open diary about my own personal life journey. The good, the bad and the messy. Each time I have tried to quit as an artist, I felt further away from my true self and the least happy. I have found that the more I share my heart openly through my artwork and poetry, the more fulfilled I am and the more I’m able to reach those who feel the energy and words I am pouring out and connect with it in one way or another. That human connection is the most fulfilling to me. I believe we’re all here to help one another through this life and sharing my craft is the best gift I have to offer to those around me. I’m most proud of how far I’ve come on this journey and the bravery it has taken to bring me to where I am. The path has never been easy, but it’s been worth it. I have learned so much about myself along the way. It can be terrifying to open yourself up so vulnerably, but the feedback from everyone around me continues to remind me why I do what I do and I wholeheartedly love it.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I don’t know that I have just one story that illustrates my resilience. Life has knocked me down time and time again throughout my life. I’ve dealt with a lot of loss of loved ones and friends gone too soon. Financial strain and struggles and moving more times than I can count. I have suffered two missed miscarriages and the depression that followed both. I was 19 weeks along with our first loss and chose to honor our son’s life and death by delivering him as I would have had he made it full term. And this last year, I battled breast cancer with a double mastectomy, chemo, ovary removal, and reconstruction.

There have been many instances in my life where I could have thrown in the towel and given up. That’s not in my nature. I’ve done my best to keep getting back up and fight when life knocks me down. Coincidentally, creating art and writing poetry have been my lifeline and personal self-help therapy to get me through it all. Sharing my journey visually and in my writing is my way of trying to help others through their own hardships. To be a voice and hopefully a light. A bright one.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Buy the original art, big or small. Buy the prints, the notecards, the unique gifts that that the living, breathing artists have to offer. Those unique gifts bring so much more meaning to life and it helps the artist support their own families and children. I would like society to understand just how much time we spend creating the art and understand its fair value. Our time in the studio isn’t any less valuable than your time in the office earning what you earn. If you find an artist that you love and whose work you admire, please share with your loved ones and friends. That is the biggest compliment we can possibly receive. And please be sure to give the artist credit or tag the artist when you post or repost their work. That level of respect is appreciated beyond measure.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.TanielleART.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/tanielleart
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/tanielleart
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanielle-childers-3001056b/
• Tiktok: @tanielleart