Everyday Talent Podcast

Ep 21. Client Spotlight: Tracing Shapes in a Non-Linear Artistic Career with Tara Dorey

January 29, 2023 Betty Xie Episode 21
Everyday Talent Podcast
Ep 21. Client Spotlight: Tracing Shapes in a Non-Linear Artistic Career with Tara Dorey
Show Notes

Becoming a creative freelancer can be an exciting career move, except no one has really taught us HOW to do this “job”. More often than not, what you’re doing is very different from another creative freelancer. When people congratulate you with messages like “you’re your own boss now”, you secretly cringe and worry about your next week’s schedule, your next month’s paycheck, and that project that you really want to say no to but are scared. Not to mention, you promised yourself that this would be the year to restart on your personal art project, but half a year has gone by and you’ve made zero progress on that. 

Ouch. If all these hurt a little, I feel you. As a creative entrepreneur myself, I am pretty much also a freelancer, and I coach other creative freelancers on their journey as well. So today, I invited one of my coaching clients, Tara Dorey, to come on the podcast and discuss the life of being a creative freelancer. As an artist, arts educator, and former Executive Director of a small and mighty arts organization, Tara is someone I deeply admire and have been humbled to partner with on her journey to grow her practice. 

Key highlights of this episode

  • Tara’s journey on becoming a full-time creative freelancer
  • Her take on non-linear growth in creative career
  • Tara’s key takeaways from our one-on-one coaching
  • Her ritual organizing her week, setting intention, and celebrating mini-milestones 
  • The importance of talking more openly about money and money mindset in the arts 

If you’re curious about the final image Tara and I created in our collage, see here.

About the Guest

Tara Dorey is a visual artist with a focus on collaborative and community engaged art making. Her practice includes arts education and facilitation, public art and murals, as well as project management and community engagement, practices that bridge her backgrounds from a Bachelor of Fine Art in Drawing & Painting from OCAD University and a Community Arts Practice Certificate from York University. Currently, Tara is studying a Masters of Education with an Arts in Education emphasis, at OISE, University of Toronto. 

Find Tara at on her website: taradorey.com

Or connect with her on Instagram: @tara.dorey

About Betty

Follow me on Instagram @bettyxcoach for more resources and my behind-the-scenes story working as a creative and a coach for creatives

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Book a free consultation call here: 

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The Everyday Talent Podcast is produced by Betty Xie and Benice Detoon.