We recently connected with Tara Nantais and have shared our conversation below.

Tara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Every project I’ve worked on has a deeper meaning or story behind it. But, a project that really helped me transmute some of my hardest times into love and creation, is the butterfly piece. I call it “Beautifully Broken”. This butterfly resembles what looks like mosaic glass inside of each wing, with each piece of glass representing a tough moment I endured. All of these broken pieces of glass at face value may not seem very important or beautiful, but when combined to form the butterfly wings, it shows that even the “ugliest” and hardest moments can add up to create something beautiful, no matter how broken we may feel in those moments. It reminds me to embrace each moment, even the not so pretty ones, and to remember that it is all a part of the overall picture. The butterfly represents transformation, change, and evolution. Hence why my business name is Tara’s Transformations and why I chose to include a butterfly in the logo, to remind myself and others the beautiful transformation that occurs inside of the moments where we struggle. Whether that transformation be expressed through art or not, creating is healing. Each piece I have created is a representation of a stage in my ever evolving healing journey, showing people that not all stages will look the same or invoke the same emotion, but are all a necessary part of your overall evolution and growth.

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 Tara Nantais. I am a self taught visual artist with a mission to help others heal through artistic expression, while I myself also heal through this expression and share it with others. Ever since I was a little girl I found myself leaning towards creative arts and appreciating the little things in life. I have always felt like I see the world through a different lens and felt called to create, but was unsure of my abilities and was afraid to put myself out there. It wasn’t until the end of 2021 and start of 2022 that I really started to believe in myself and finally went where my heart was pulling me. I am so grateful to share my journey with others, as well as spread my gratitude and love through my art. I sell my “transformations” through social media and local art shows & events in St Petersburg and Tampa, as well as work with clients on customized, commission artwork. I love seeing the joy and appreciation on the face of my clients as they see their vision come to life on the canvas. To know that my clients trust me to create a piece in honor of a special moment or in memory of a loved one, means the absolute world to me. I am not a half-ass type of person nor do I rush the process on my work, and this is what sets me apart from others. I am all about quality over quantity, and creating work that evokes a certain emotion from the viewers and reminds them that they are not alone. I am here to remind others that ALL art is beautiful, imperfections and all, and that through all sorts of different creative practices, everybody is an artist in some way deep down. I am not only passionate about my mission but I am always learning and growing. This is only the beginning and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I have had to unlearn is the idea of the “Starving Artist”. The concept of the starving artist is very discouraging and conditions people to believe that following your passion and dream of being an artist will ultimately end in failure. I originally had this concept deeply ingrained in my head and it left me feeling very unsure about the chances of success in this field. When I first entered the art space, I met and witnessed a number of very successful artists in the area making a living, and doing so solely through their artwork. Through this experience, my mindset around the “starving artist” story quickly changed. These things take time and I realize it takes consistency and utmost faith in yourself, but this alone keeps me encouraged and reminds me to never quit. Release the story in your mind that tells you artists have to starve. This is just so not true.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing my ideas come to life, and surprising myself every single time. I love witnessing my growth through my work, and having visual representations of my evolution means the world to me. I have learned so many unexpected life lessons through the creative process. For me, this process is therapy and it constantly reminds me to slow down and appreciate the little things. Creativity is not something you can just turn on like the flip of a light switch, and this alone has taught me to be patient with myself and how to tune into my inner world. Tapping into my creativity has made me an overall better, confident, and happier person. There really is no other feeling like it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tarastransformations.com
• Instagram: @taras_transformations
• Other: Shopify: https://tarastransformations.myshopify.com/