CREATIVE MAMA | TARA HOGAN
// HI friends! A whole new year of Creative Mamas starts today! Tara is a woman i have admired for a long long time. I saw her in a Yoga Journal interview awhile back and i remember clipping out the interview. I resonated completely with her personality, her philosophy on vegan and sustainable living, and of course with her stunning art and design. She has birthed two extraordinary companies; Ink&Wit and Tulsi. She has also birthed two sweet boys, Kaylan Button 5 and John Button 6. I really and truly hope to meet this woman in person some day. Her talent and wisdom are infectious and i want to be part of that. Read, enjoy, share! //
Tell us about where you live.
I live in Northwestern NY in a very cold area, lol. I am originally from Southern CT, an hour from NYC, and am used to the East Coast and New England charm so I have a very hard time feeling land locked in this part of NY. It has great vegetation and a slower pace of life but I am definitely a city girl who loves to escape to country, no the other way around. I have found that out. I crave urban life and creative community. My style is a mix of minimal and mid century modern with a big hit of Scandinavian as well a splash of Boho. I like clean lines and a Zen feel but not sterile. I need warm artifacts, incense, and amazing light. I am not a collector but I do have a few things I cherish. I really like architecture so I focus more on that than things in a home. I like to become part of a space’s structure and feel like I can move through it without too much distraction.
How are you creative.
I am most natural when I freestyle paint and draw. I am not great at planning anything I work on, which can bite me at times. However, I do plan out my design projects more so than anything else simply because they require a ton of market research and case study. When I work on a brand design project I really enjoy the journey of finding the right look and feel for each client. I like to invent logos and and style guides a lot. I get very OCD about this process. But, with my own art process for collage, atoning, or illustration, it is really free flow. I am always looking at everything, so much so, my brain may explode someday. I have learned to let go of looking so much and feeling more and acting on the moment as the creative moment can flee and that magic escapes us. I started my business, INK&WIT, in 2004. I have worked on creative projects from brand design to web design and licensing with IKEA as well American Greetings and Babysoy. For a long time. I worked on my one lien of INK&WIT stationery and gift items consisting of letterpress to art prints. For a long time I wanted to makes textiles and have more of a home lifestyle brand which in turn became TULSI. Tulsi is a lien of INK&WIT. I am still spinning the two creative journeys together as right ow they both feel they are their own. I have tried to be easy on myself about this evolution. Creative energy is sensitive and it needs room to breathe as well room to desist. I cannot force any of my creativity to just go away.
I wear a lot of hats although I have took some off the last few years. There is an option where you have to look at where you are as a creative person and let what you are no longer feeling to release back into space. Currently, I am wholesaling and retailing Tulsi textiles and art around the globe and planning a wallpaper and larger yardage selection this Spring. I am also following the energy of my art and just organically making what happens day to d
Where does simplicity show up in your life?
Sleep, lol. My attire, my home, my work. Where I am not so simple is when I speak. HAHAHA. I love to talk.
What is your personal style?
I am loving NFP. I love the Jedi look. Pretty much Angelina Jolie modern biker angular Jedi wear. I cannot think of any other way to describe the look I love. I love black. I have little to no color in my wardrobe and I dress mostly in yoga clothes which really just means black sweat pants or actual black leggings and a wether or a simple pullover hoodie. I love Vans and Birks and also a great pair of black heels and boots. Zen Vampire.
What is your beauty regime?
Water is number one but, sigh, I am bad at getting enough so I recently bought a lot of Moonjuice supplements to put in shakes and drinks like tea and warm water. I am using a vegan collagen protein as well as a vegan protein powder. I feel like I have to get this nutrition as part of skin regime and overall radiance to feel on point. I could just use a good wash and lotion in my twenties even thirties but after two back to back pregnancies, living in a crazy weather system, and going through a lot of stress a few times these past 6 years, I noticed even the purest and best products were not enough. Sleep, water, and exercise, especially yoga asanas, shivasana, pranayama, is the best skin food. But, I am using Moonjuice’s Reishi serum (amazing!) and I use a few other products like Arcona and Herbivore. Wash, hydration masks, rose toner, moisturize 2X daily. And, diet is a biggie. I eat 95% vegan with little to no processed foods. I am not saying you need to be vegan but the cleaner the food the better the gut health. I also see people eating fast food that have nice skin so who knows. I just know what works for me and feels right for me.
Any routines/habits/mottos to living well?
Try to rise early and drink warm water to improve digestion and set the time for your day. If I hydrate well right upon rising I feel better all day and night. I am prone more to dehydration ing in such a dry area as well being pro not dryness rather than oil. Know yourself and your constitution whether through Ayurveda or Chinese Medicine to what have you. If we nurture from inside out it shows and we feel balanced. I am also big on solo time. I am an extrovert but need to be alone a lot to make my work. I work better alone on most projects but can also work well in a group. I think “to thine own self be true” is a great motto and also Dharma Mittra, always said, Everything is perfect and nothing is permanent.” I also value traveling and nature more than having stuff as stuff breaks and fades. I love nice things, and value their function, but I feel if we are too focused on stuff, we lose sight of living simply and also not overworking ourselves fo amor more more. Nothing will ever be enough because ultimate happiness dwells within.
What is a typical day like for you as a creative + mama?
Deep breaths on morning duty from time of awakening with 2 children and to the bus Yoga somewhere somehow Maybe a latte or matcha The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck Art and Design work in my studio or home office Cooking More breathing lol. Rest.
When/how do you feel most beautiful and most aligned with yourself?
After a deep meditation and yoga practice. Also, in India while in association with two of my teachers. I also feel at peace when the kids just are quiet sitting on my lap. The time goes so fast and I remind myself this moment is really beautiful even though I cannot see it. I can feel it. What are 5 things you are loving right now? Space (alone time) Matcha Stepping into a new chapter of kids being 5 and 6 Italy Exploring my abstract art again Myself
What advice do you have for mothers looking to find balance in both being healthy and staying creative?
I will go for brevity here because we have all heard a lot fo advice. Stay true to yourself. Value yourself and self care. Value time and life. It is evident we are all on phones and leaving nature out fo our routines. Skincare, yoga classes, healthy food are so valuable but we have to actually get a walk outside or a hike. We need to feel gras or sand under our feet. And, the most important thing I have learned is to surround yourself with only this people who are healthy good association. That ultimately lifts us up. Sad to say it but anything that is dead weight, including people, will do a number on ones creative energy as well self worth. Say no more.
// Many thanks to Tara for taking the time to share a little bit about herself here on C +W //
ALL PICTURES ARE PROPERTY OF TARA HOGAN
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