May 20, 2024

Free Fun Things for You!

By Tamara Laporte | in art journal | Tags: art musings , art journal , tamara laporte , Willowing Arts

Free Fun Things for YOU! 😊

Hello Creative Friend,

I am thrilled to announce I will be a guest for a FREE upcoming online retreat discussing how art can help us cultivate greater joy, peace, and resilience. ♥️♥️♥️ One of my favourite topics, of course!

I enjoyed speaking with Amie Kelson, the host! We chatted all about the healing power of art. Come have a listen (it’s free!) and includes lots of other inspiring speakers too! 😊

Amie believes deeply in the power of art—not just as a form of expression but as a transformative tool for our mental well-being and emotional resilience.

Sign Up to the Creative Life Redesign Retreat

NEW FREE video on my youtube channel!

I’m so proud of myself for releasing another vlog/ owl/ youtube video so soon! I made another owl AND reviewed some new fun markers, plus, I warble a bit about my life in amusing ways 😉. It’s all fun and games on my youtube channel, I’m going to call it ‘Tam TV’ 😆😂🤣 Hope you’ll come and watch it, I’m always so grateful when you do! ♥️♥️♥️

Watch New Vlog/ Owl Video Here

Lastly, I’m blown away by so many of you who’ve already joined Expressive Soul Portraits! Only 5 more sleeps until we begin! YAY!
If you haven’t joined yet, you have only 5 more days to use the 20% OFF discount code: SOUL20!

See you there!
Much love,
Tam ❤️🌟💕

You may also like:

Comments:

Join my newsletter to access the

Latest Courses & Discounts

Instagram

willowing

4,845 48,243

Mixed media artist, teacher and author. I don’t see all IG msgs. For enq pls email hello@willowing.org - Join Creating Cuties:

“I cry glitter.” ✨
A lyrical quote from a song by Antony and the Johnsons (now Anohni and the Johnsons), whose music I was utterly obsessed with; so vulnerable, poetic, and soul-baring. One of my favourites, Bird Guhl, is from their hauntingly beautiful album I Am a Bird Now. Anohni’s is one of my favourites; full of ache, truth, and beauty.
This painting, also titled Bird Guhl, was part of my early Paint Over Collage series published in Somerset Studio (2013). I enlarged it in photoshop today and was struck by the wild abandon in the marks I made back then; loose, expressive, instinctive.
It reminded me of beginner’s mind; that freedom we have when we start creating, before perfectionism creeps in. Funny how we spend years striving to “improve,” only to realise that joy lives in the unlearning. As Picasso said:
“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”
I often feel torn between the illustrator and the painter in me; one seeks polish, the other freedom. But I’m learning that spontaneity has its own kind of perfection.
Thanks for reading. 💗
I’d love to hear if you’ve ever tried to return to that playful, messy, beautiful beginner’s mind in your own creative journey.
#BirdGuhl #Anohni #MixedMediaArt #BeginnerMind #ExpressiveArt #CollageArt #ArtMusings #Willowing #arthealing This is day 6 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

“I cry glitter.” ✨
A lyrical quote from a song by Antony and the Johnsons (now Anohni and the Johnsons), whose music I was utterly obsessed with; so vulnerable, poetic, and soul-baring. One of my favourites, Bird Guhl, is from their hauntingly beautiful album I Am a Bird Now. Anohni’s is one of my favourites; full of ache, truth, and beauty.
This painting, also titled Bird Guhl, was part of my early Paint Over Collage series published in Somerset Studio (2013). I enlarged it in photoshop today and was struck by the wild abandon in the marks I made back then; loose, expressive, instinctive.
It reminded me of beginner’s mind; that freedom we have when we start creating, before perfectionism creeps in. Funny how we spend years striving to “improve,” only to realise that joy lives in the unlearning. As Picasso said:
“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”
I often feel torn between the illustrator and the painter in me; one seeks polish, the other freedom. But I’m learning that spontaneity has its own kind of perfection.
Thanks for reading. 💗
I’d love to hear if you’ve ever tried to return to that playful, messy, beautiful beginner’s mind in your own creative journey.
#BirdGuhl #Anohni #MixedMediaArt #BeginnerMind #ExpressiveArt #CollageArt #ArtMusings #Willowing #arthealing This is day 6 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

Indeed! 😂😁😆

Blessing your timeline with this cutie sketch. 🐶🐾💕

Blessing your timeline with this cutie sketch. 🐶🐾💕

Healing Hands. ❤️‍🩹🙌 This painting was created in 2014 for my very first free course, Art, Heart & Healing.

Unlike what marketing gurus preach these days, I didn’t make this free course as a “lead magnet” or a “low-barrier offer to increase conversions.” I created it because, after running my very first paid course (World of Whimsy – more about this in days to come), I received an email from someone who told me her daughter was living in her attic, struggling with deep depression. She believed my art course could really help her, but they simply couldn’t afford it.

That broke my heart a lot and her email stuck with me. So I decided to offer something for free; not as a tactic, but as a gift to those who truly needed it. There was no sales funnel, no hidden agenda. The only thing I asked what that participants share the course on social media if they felt moved to, but that was it.

Art, Heart & Healing was born out of love, compassion, and the belief that art can be healing and accessible to everyone.

The course attracted a lot of people and introduced many people to the healing power of art.

This course also planted the seed for Life Book (my year long art and healing course I ran for 13 years, more about that soon).

This angel painting is close to my heart. I love the simple colour scheme and gentle expression on her face. I used a lot of extra mixed media supplies in this painting too, which was so fun. It includes texture paste, collage and even glitter! I love the hearts on her hands, like healing hands. Or hands that send out love, like mine. I always hoped that the art my hands created, sent out love the world, one way or another.

Thank you for being here with me today frens.

Happy Sunday.

This is day 5 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

Healing Hands. ❤️‍🩹🙌 This painting was created in 2014 for my very first free course, Art, Heart & Healing.

Unlike what marketing gurus preach these days, I didn’t make this free course as a “lead magnet” or a “low-barrier offer to increase conversions.” I created it because, after running my very first paid course (World of Whimsy – more about this in days to come), I received an email from someone who told me her daughter was living in her attic, struggling with deep depression. She believed my art course could really help her, but they simply couldn’t afford it.

That broke my heart a lot and her email stuck with me. So I decided to offer something for free; not as a tactic, but as a gift to those who truly needed it. There was no sales funnel, no hidden agenda. The only thing I asked what that participants share the course on social media if they felt moved to, but that was it.

Art, Heart & Healing was born out of love, compassion, and the belief that art can be healing and accessible to everyone.

The course attracted a lot of people and introduced many people to the healing power of art.

This course also planted the seed for Life Book (my year long art and healing course I ran for 13 years, more about that soon).

This angel painting is close to my heart. I love the simple colour scheme and gentle expression on her face. I used a lot of extra mixed media supplies in this painting too, which was so fun. It includes texture paste, collage and even glitter! I love the hearts on her hands, like healing hands. Or hands that send out love, like mine. I always hoped that the art my hands created, sent out love the world, one way or another.

Thank you for being here with me today frens.

Happy Sunday.

This is day 5 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

🌸 Day 4 of A Gentle Return 🌸
As I sat down to post today, Damien Rice was singing a lullaby and I felt stuck.
Should I write about capitalism and despair? Or Elliot’s gorgeous lashes and the tiny frogs hopping through our garden? Or maybe just lie in bed reading City of Gods & Monsters and eating cheese?

But then I realised—maybe the stuckness itself is the story.
Because right now, I’m a layered mix of exhausted rage, sadness, awe, love, hope, and deep gratitude. That’s the truth. That’s the Tam-bag. 💫

This painting is from 2013. See the stars and hearts? They`ve always been there—tiny beacons whispering: “You’re still here. It’ll be okay.”

This piece marked a shift: I wanted more than pretty portraits. I wanted mystery. Symbolism. Story.
A bird’s nest on a head, an elephant in a crown, a hand stitched into clothing. Art that asks questions more than it gives answers.

What happens for you when you see it? (This is a condensed caption of a longer more in depth post due to the character limit on Instagram, follow me on Facebook if you`d like to read the full post: https://bit.ly/3INLsTc ) link also on my linktree via bio.

🌸 Day 4 of A Gentle Return 🌸
As I sat down to post today, Damien Rice was singing a lullaby and I felt stuck.
Should I write about capitalism and despair? Or Elliot’s gorgeous lashes and the tiny frogs hopping through our garden? Or maybe just lie in bed reading City of Gods & Monsters and eating cheese?

But then I realised—maybe the stuckness itself is the story.
Because right now, I’m a layered mix of exhausted rage, sadness, awe, love, hope, and deep gratitude. That’s the truth. That’s the Tam-bag. 💫

This painting is from 2013. See the stars and hearts? They've always been there—tiny beacons whispering: “You’re still here. It’ll be okay.”

This piece marked a shift: I wanted more than pretty portraits. I wanted mystery. Symbolism. Story.
A bird’s nest on a head, an elephant in a crown, a hand stitched into clothing. Art that asks questions more than it gives answers.

What happens for you when you see it? (This is a condensed caption of a longer more in depth post due to the character limit on Instagram, follow me on Facebook if you'd like to read the full post: https://bit.ly/3INLsTc ) link also on my linktree via bio.

Load More… Follow on Instagram

©WILLOWING ARTS | Terms & Conditions | PRIVACY POLICY

DESIGN COLLABORATION BY WILLOWING ARTS & IRENE SOLER |