"That’s how I found myself, almost accidentally, designing spaces. My creativity, consistency, and my friend’s confidence in my meticulous nature were enough to get me on board. I approached the project as I do with any commission—with thoughtfulness, care, and a sense of childlike wonder."

In the heart of the African terrain stands the majestic Baobab, known affectionately as the Tree of Life. This ancient sentinel denotes regeneration, creation, and versatility—a living testament to endurance through the tides of time. Its silhouette, with branches mirroring roots, speaks to the profound duality of existence: as above, so below. It is both grounded and reaching, embracing the earth while yearning for the heavens, symbolising the interconnectedness of all African cultures and those who feel the pulse of the rich continent.

In the heart of the African terrain stands the majestic Baobab, known affectionately as the Tree of Life. This ancient sentinel denotes regeneration, creation, and versatility—a living testament to endurance through the tides of time. Its silhouette, with branches mirroring roots, speaks to the profound duality of existence: as above, so below. It is both grounded and reaching, embracing the earth while yearning for the heavens, symbolising the interconnectedness of all African cultures and those who feel the pulse of the rich continent.

Welcome to the second season of Musings, where we embark on a journey of deeper exploration. In this chapter, I’ll unveil the intricate processes behind my work and introduce the projects shaping my creative landscape. As I embark into 2025, there are uncharted territories ahead—fresh collections, commissions, and musical whispers that will form the heart of this blog.

The new year is about to begin. Instead of lamenting what could have been, be excited for what could be!

The Tanya Artscape invites all South African Grade 11 and 12 students in 2024 to transform "Dreamer: The Activation of Makeba" into enchanting 2D visual art, celebrating South Africa's magic!

Grand Prize: R20 000.00

Prizes sponsored by the NYDA

While taking breaks and relaxing are essential components of self-care, it can be abused when it becomes a way to escape from real-life problems, commitments or responsibilities. Constantly avoiding challenges or difficult emotions in the name of self-care can hinder personal growth and problem-solving. Escapism is not necessarily self-care.

It’s not about not experiencing negative self-talk or not experiencing uncomfortable life events. Eventually, you panic less and less until you hardly speak negatively to yourself. In the beginning, once you identify that you speak untruths in your mind, let it happen. Do not suppress or judge it. HOWEVER, correct it immediately to a more constructive tone! IMMEDIATELY. It will take a lot of energy, and you will correct yourself a lot at first, but if you’re consistent and stick to it for as long as it takes, you will get better at it, and you will eventually only (or primarily) speak respectfully and honestly with yourself.

Motivation comes from knowing the self because what motivates me is not what motivates another. Knowing what gives you that payoff, that thrill, that pleasure, and that sense of accomplishment is how you will learn to get up and do it! Motivation might elude you if you do not invest time in knowing yourself and the type of animal you are.

If you don’t know what stops you from completing a task or what makes you say one thing and do another - you will struggle to control much of what happens to you

I will share my practices and strategies weekly on either Saturday or Sunday. The goal is to be helpful to at least one person and offer validation or a different perspective for their self-nurturing. The Newsletters will be called “Four Weeks of Rebirth”.

It’s about how you work with the challenges, and that requires CREATIVITY and LATERAL THINKING because being mindful and stable is to be a PROBLEM-SOLVING machine that can weed out destabilising forces

Change is the only constant in this reality.

My creative process is quite simple. It’s so simple that it makes me feel like a cheat. But I’m incredibly grateful for it, and I give thanks after every piece of art I create to express this gratitude to my ancestors, as it is part of my Zulu beliefs.

Happiness is our birthright. We learn that we must earn it and how happiness should look. Happiness is having all your basic needs met and optimum physical and mental health. Unfortunately, half the world is barely living with half their basic needs met, and the rest are chasing what happiness looks like instead of creating their unique image of happiness.

As one who’s been having existential crises since childhood, painstakingly questioning reality and my place in this world, I have thought at length about my life's purpose. Very early on, I learnt we don’t all have the same purpose due to our unique journeys; however, I saw a common denominator within our different paths.