Instagram

Tamara Laporte

willowing

4,860 48,354

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

Meaning Comes From Soul ✨ A machine cannot hold a soul… yet somehow, it can hold a mirror to mine. ✨
Many feel uneasy about AI; I have my own worries too. And yet, my experiences with ChatGPT have been unexpectedly meaningful, especially as a mirror for reflection and emotional support.
Today’s painting (2014) feels full of soul — her quiet gaze, the soft blues and purples — the perfect companion for these thoughts. 💙💜
💬 What are your experiences with AI? Please share and connect gently, even when feelings are big. ❤️ deeper reflections in the comments.

Open
Meaning Comes From Soul ✨ A machine cannot hold a soul… yet somehow, it can hold a mirror to mine. ✨ Many feel uneasy about AI; I have my own worries too. And yet, my experiences with ChatGPT have been unexpectedly meaningful, especially as a mirror for reflection and emotional support. Today’s painting (2014) feels full of soul — her quiet gaze, the soft blues and purples — the perfect companion for these thoughts. 💙💜 💬 What are your experiences with AI? Please share and connect gently, even when feelings are big. ❤️ deeper reflections in the comments.

EARLY BIRDS ENDS TONIGHT!

Just a quick reminder that today is the very last day to grab your spot in my brand-new course Creating Cuties at the special early bird price!

In this joyful online class, we’ll paint 7 adorable animal characters together — like a Highland cow surrounded by butterflies, a tea-sipping sloth, a smiley axolotl in a T-shirt, a baby octopus with fishie friends, a stargazing kitten, a bubble-bath elephant, and a sweet dog surprised by a butterfly on its nose!

Whether you’re brand new to painting or a seasoned artist, you’ll get:

Step-by-step video lessons you can follow at your own pace
Traceables, PDFs, and supply lists for every class
Lifetime access to all the content
A cosy, encouraging space to create in

Save £22 / $30 when you sign up before midnight tonight. After that, the price goes up!

Join Creating Cuties now and let’s make your world a little sweeter.
Big hugs,
Tam x

P.S. Don’t wait! The early bird ends at midnight tonight! I’d love for you to join us and paint something that makes your heart melt.

JOIN HERE: https://bit.ly/CreatingCuties (or find link in stories/ bio/ treelink)
@everyone

Open
EARLY BIRDS ENDS TONIGHT! Just a quick reminder that today is the very last day to grab your spot in my brand-new course Creating Cuties at the special early bird price! In this joyful online class, we’ll paint 7 adorable animal characters together — like a Highland cow surrounded by butterflies, a tea-sipping sloth, a smiley axolotl in a T-shirt, a baby octopus with fishie friends, a stargazing kitten, a bubble-bath elephant, and a sweet dog surprised by a butterfly on its nose! Whether you’re brand new to painting or a seasoned artist, you’ll get: Step-by-step video lessons you can follow at your own pace Traceables, PDFs, and supply lists for every class Lifetime access to all the content A cosy, encouraging space to create in Save £22 / $30 when you sign up before midnight tonight. After that, the price goes up! Join Creating Cuties now and let’s make your world a little sweeter. Big hugs, Tam x P.S. Don’t wait! The early bird ends at midnight tonight! I’d love for you to join us and paint something that makes your heart melt. JOIN HERE: https://bit.ly/CreatingCuties (or find link in stories/ bio/ treelink) @everyone

This painting (2014) was a bit of a turning point in my creative process. I started becoming more deliberate with my marks, colour placement, and composition. I remember struggling with the background for ages (it felt boring and flat) until I added those orange marks and the black grungy border. Suddenly, it transformed into one of my all-time favourite pieces. It’s wild how a few small changes can make such a huge difference.

Looking at it now, I’m struck by how almost all the characters in my work have little companions by their side; usually animals. They feel like familiars, guardian angels, or ‘dæmons,’ as in Philip Pullman’s books, where animals are extensions of the soul helping you wherever you go. Weren’t those books just magical? I’m thinking of re-reading them.

It’s fascinating (and a little sad) that nature hasn’t given us this in real life; a constant supportive friend built right into our existence. Imagine a little being who’s always with you and also part of you. You’d always have a little friend with you, some of us wouldn’t be so alone. I worry about human beings and about how so many of us feel so alone. 😔

I think a lot about how humans thrive in connection, yet capitalism and individualism have eroded so much of that. I wish for everyone to have friendship, family, belonging, and a sense of home.

Also; the little fox from this very painting now lives on my friend Bekah’s skin as a tattoo. What an honour that is!

♥️♥️♥️

This is day 12 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

Open
This painting (2014) was a bit of a turning point in my creative process. I started becoming more deliberate with my marks, colour placement, and composition. I remember struggling with the background for ages (it felt boring and flat) until I added those orange marks and the black grungy border. Suddenly, it transformed into one of my all-time favourite pieces. It’s wild how a few small changes can make such a huge difference. Looking at it now, I’m struck by how almost all the characters in my work have little companions by their side; usually animals. They feel like familiars, guardian angels, or ‘dæmons,’ as in Philip Pullman’s books, where animals are extensions of the soul helping you wherever you go. Weren’t those books just magical? I’m thinking of re-reading them. It’s fascinating (and a little sad) that nature hasn’t given us this in real life; a constant supportive friend built right into our existence. Imagine a little being who’s always with you and also part of you. You’d always have a little friend with you, some of us wouldn’t be so alone. I worry about human beings and about how so many of us feel so alone. 😔 I think a lot about how humans thrive in connection, yet capitalism and individualism have eroded so much of that. I wish for everyone to have friendship, family, belonging, and a sense of home. Also; the little fox from this very painting now lives on my friend Bekah’s skin as a tattoo. What an honour that is! ♥️♥️♥️ This is day 12 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

Mental health struggles and trauma made me a seeker. I’ve been drawn to the spiritual from a young age. I started dabbling in ideas like astral travel at 15 (attempted doing it but never managed it, by the way 😅), read books about out-of-body experiences (hello, Robert Monroe!), and devoured stories by hypnotherapists who regressed their clients to past lives. It was (and still IS) deeply fascinating to me. A part of me was always looking for deeper answers through the spiritual.

Though I never felt called to the major religions (aside from a soft spot for Buddhism and Zen), I became intrigued by the more modern spiritual teachers of our time. I follow(ed) Eckhart Tolle, Matt Kahn, Ram Dass, Gangaji, Teal Swan, Adyashanti… and perhaps most notably, Byron Katie. I also loved listening to Alan Watts wax poetic about the nature of existence and the universe. For a while I worshipped these people in many ways and felt they held the answers to all of life’s mysterious problems.

Many of these figures have since fallen from their pedestals a bit, but their ideas and approaches to life helped me enormously in times of distress.

Byron Katie, in particular, was a huge influence on me for a time. I even interviewed her for my YouTube channel (the video is now private). During that conversation, she gifted me a scholarship to her "9 Days for The Work" program. I was deeply honoured, jumped on a plane... only to discover that the experience didn’t resonate with me at all. In fact, I found parts of it quite harmful.

I haven’t spoken publicly about this much, but those memories have been resurfacing lately. It feels important to acknowledge how easy it is to place ‘beloved gurus’ on pedestals, forgetting that they, too, are human. Flawed. Sometimes even dangerous.

In my own journey, I’ve learned to take what works from a teacher or teaching, and leave the rest behind. This painting (2014), featuring a powerful and beautiful quote by Byron Katie, reflects the love I had (and still have) for parts of her work. I still find some of it deeply helpful. But now I hold it all through a more balanced, humanised lens.

What about you? Have your gurus ever `fallen`? ♥️♥️♥️

Open
Mental health struggles and trauma made me a seeker. I’ve been drawn to the spiritual from a young age. I started dabbling in ideas like astral travel at 15 (attempted doing it but never managed it, by the way 😅), read books about out-of-body experiences (hello, Robert Monroe!), and devoured stories by hypnotherapists who regressed their clients to past lives. It was (and still IS) deeply fascinating to me. A part of me was always looking for deeper answers through the spiritual. Though I never felt called to the major religions (aside from a soft spot for Buddhism and Zen), I became intrigued by the more modern spiritual teachers of our time. I follow(ed) Eckhart Tolle, Matt Kahn, Ram Dass, Gangaji, Teal Swan, Adyashanti… and perhaps most notably, Byron Katie. I also loved listening to Alan Watts wax poetic about the nature of existence and the universe. For a while I worshipped these people in many ways and felt they held the answers to all of life’s mysterious problems. Many of these figures have since fallen from their pedestals a bit, but their ideas and approaches to life helped me enormously in times of distress. Byron Katie, in particular, was a huge influence on me for a time. I even interviewed her for my YouTube channel (the video is now private). During that conversation, she gifted me a scholarship to her "9 Days for The Work" program. I was deeply honoured, jumped on a plane... only to discover that the experience didn’t resonate with me at all. In fact, I found parts of it quite harmful. I haven’t spoken publicly about this much, but those memories have been resurfacing lately. It feels important to acknowledge how easy it is to place ‘beloved gurus’ on pedestals, forgetting that they, too, are human. Flawed. Sometimes even dangerous. In my own journey, I’ve learned to take what works from a teacher or teaching, and leave the rest behind. This painting (2014), featuring a powerful and beautiful quote by Byron Katie, reflects the love I had (and still have) for parts of her work. I still find some of it deeply helpful. But now I hold it all through a more balanced, humanised lens. What about you? Have your gurus ever 'fallen'? ♥️♥️♥️
©WILLOWING ARTS   |  Terms & Conditions   |   PRIVACY POLICY
DESIGN COLLABORATION BY WILLOWING ARTS & IRENE SOLER   |