Spotlight Artist: Taryn Maeia Imrie

Taryn Maeia Imrie on sharing yourself with others

Isn’t it crazy how we can vacillate between feeling like we’re too much…  And simultaneously, never enough? 

When Taryn Maeia Imrie started the Become Internationally Known program eight months ago, their struggle with these feelings affected their daily life in a real way. 

They would start making art on their kitchen table, only to tear it all down again and again mid-process. 

These half-manifested projects were impacting their sense of self. 

What was getting in the way? 

Being an artist had always felt central to who Taryn was on a deep level. They knew it helped them feel better to make it… But struggled to see how they could connect it to their larger work in the world. 

Through the internal work they did with the Become Internationally Known community, the very self-doubt that caused them to feel isolated now brings them into a deeper connection and a sense of purpose. 

They realized they had SO much to offer their community through creative pursuits that today they work as a mentor and art teacher in their community… Including mounting a vibrant 900-square-foot mosaic with two other artists. 

This mural honours the community inside the building, which provides vulnerable populations with sustainable housing with onsite medical and social work services.

Taryn has also been invited to apply for (and now works out of) 1 of 4 semi-private artist studios within a ceramic arts center. 

In addition to this, they were hired to coordinate and run their rebranding launch (attended by 100+ people, including media, stakeholders and community members).

“In this way, I have grown in the community, advanced my reputation as a vital part of the team, and increased my income markedly.”

How did this happen?  

“Through the prompts, reflective practice and live mentoring in the group, I have clarified my desires and now listen to inner critical voices in a new way. I have learned to speak up for my accessibility needs and to create better boundaries about what I’m able and not able to take on. 

I now lean into my own vision, share insights more freely and engage vulnerably in discussions. In doing so, I have learned that my verbal and visual vantage points have greater value to others than I had imagined.”

Realign Mixed Media on Canvas, 36x36 inches, Stories Told & Untold Mixed Media with Vermicompost on Birch Cradle Board, 20x20 inches, Vibe Rant Flow, Mixed media on Canvas, Hexaptych 60x20 inches, 10x20 inches each, Second Chorus To The Third Verse, Mixed Media on Canvas, Triptych 33x14 inches, 11x14 inches each, Intra Cellular Tendrils, Mixed Media on Birch Cradle Board, Triptych 36x12 inches, 12x12 inches each