We were lucky to catch up with Tara Booth recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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 think about what it would be like to have a 9-5 almost daily. I’m a ceramics and sculpture professor at a small, women’s college, so all of my work is crammed into 8 months of the year. This can be really exhausting, especially because being on an academic schedule is limiting at times. But, on the flip side, research is part of my job. Being in my studio, making work, and showing my work is expected of me. Teaching is draining, both mentally and physically, but I get to use the material I work with in my own practice every single day at my job and not many people can say that. There are pros and cons of teaching, just like there are with a 9-5 job. I fully believe in working a job that supports your life and doesn’t consume it. For me, right now teaching is a good fit.
Tara, 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 grew up in a small town in Northern Michigan. As a kid, I was always interested in tactile play. Things like building sandcastles, digging for worms, painting the palms of my hands, and playdough. I went to an arts school for elementary but didn’t stick with visual arts until I started college. There, I changed my major a few times and decided on graphic design. I noticed I wanted to reach into the computer and physically change things around, so that was clearly not the path for me. Luckily, I was taking a ceramics course and my professor, Paul, encouraged me to stick with the medium. Paul has been my biggest inspiration throughout my career and I silently thank him every day for encouraging me to pursue ceramics. I try to emulate his teaching style in my own classes by encouraging each budding artist to run wild with their personal vision and aesthetic. Paul was also openly queer with his students, giving me the confidence to be out with mine as well. After graduating college, I moved around a lot, attended an MFA program on the East Coast, and am now rooted in Kansas City, Missouri. I describe myself as a ceramic artist that makes work in different mediums and dimensions.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Honestly, I had to unlearn that everyone needs to attend college. And that’s coming from an almost tenured college professor. I am swimming in student loan debt, but my debt is chump change compared to a lot of my colleagues with PhD’s. I also have students in my classes that were pushed into college and don’t actually want to be there. I fully support trade schools, specialized associate degrees, and not going to college all together. I absolutely see the value of a liberal arts school, a college degree, and advanced degrees, but only if it’s really necessary. I wish so many things for the education system in our country, one of them being to stop pushing teenagers into debt because they don’t know what else to do after high school.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Feeling like I have a purpose. I feel most like myself and most connect to my body when I’m in my studio. Art-making is part of human nature and I’m really thankful I feel a deep need to constantly test the parameters of my surroundings. As humans, we’re all broken in some way. Art is a way to put myself back together and maybe inspire someone else to do the same.
Contact Info:
- Website: tarabooth.com
- Instagram: @taraboothstudio
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-booth/