TIRZA, the artist + creator mom
5/5 committed to her flexlife
6/10 feels confident she’s living the lifestyle she wants everyday
9 years and running
Does other stuff to pay the bills
She’s inspired by @Studiojoygallery @abstractduke @Elle.art
Tirza is a mother of 4 with 2/4 being considered autistic. After being exposed to the realities and hurdles of raising a special needs child, there was little room or time for her to paint -- yet she still yearned for that creative outlet. That's when she started what she likes to call [art hunting], which is wandering in search of art, from alleys to museums. This gave her a creative outlet which reignited her passion for painting. It also helped her share her love of art with her kids. Now, they explore with their eyes open and are always pointing out graffiti while on walks. She says, “in a sense, after motherhood, my world has become more about art than it was pre-kids since I value the precious free time I have to create.
#WORDSTOLIVEBY: The only thing standing in your way is your own fear.
Tirza always had a passion for art coming from a family of creatives and she’s been photographing graffiti since she was a teen, in pre-digital times. She started pursuing a flexible career 9 years ago, when she began to work as a writer part time. This gave her the opportunity to stay home with her kids while pursuing her passion projects. Tirza works as a part time writer for ~9 hours a week so this gives her an immense amount of freedom to schedule her week how I'd like. Although she admits it’s hard to find free time while raising four kids! She finds her writing job to still be creative but she still finds more satisfaction in visual arts.
A day in life for Tirza looks like this:
UP super early with her kiddos
Takes the mornings to #arthunt with her baby whether that's going to search for murals/graffiti art or going to a gallery/museum
During her baby’s nap time she jumps into her "real job" and does some writing
Then comes afternoon/evening madness with the kids
After they are asleep she usually paints if she’s not totally drained
She says:
“Painting is what helps me keep my mental health in check, my version of self care is being creative.”
Tirza is most proud of finding a way to allow herself to be her true self. Growing up religious she’s always felt stuck between two worlds (the secular and spiritual). She never quite fit into either camp. She says, “in motherhood, I pushed away who I was too. I'm slowly learning to be comfortable with just being me and not fitting into a prescribed label.”
#MASTERTIPS: “Just do it! You don't want to wake up one day and realized that you spent your whole too scared to live life. I know because I did it. I spent years not being creative because I was too scared to be myself. It took a long time for me to realize this and I spent years apologizing to myself for denying who I was. Once I started to be the real me, I realized that there will always be haters but there are also many real supporters ready to cheer you on.”