Tara Gillespie shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Tara, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first hour of my day is quiet, intentional, and grounding. I start by feeding my dogs, who greet breakfast time with so much joy. It’s a sweet, simple moment that always makes me smile. Then I make my coffee and step out onto my deck with my books/journal. That time is sacred for me. It’s when I check in with myself and reflect on both personal growth and the day ahead. As a single mother and a solo business owner, my days can be full and demanding. So creating space in the morning to center myself before the hustle begins is a necessity. My peace is my top priority right now, and this mindful ritual helps me stay focused and emotionally balanced as I move through all that I hold.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Tara Gillespie, and I create mindful mixed-media art pieces designed to bring your dreams closer. I specialize in a unique fluid art and epoxy technique that blends paint chemistry and epoxy resin with meditative presence. I mix my own paints and spend hours guiding the movement and reaction of materials to create abstract, ethereal compositions. I call my work Dream Topography as they are visual explorations of landscapes that feel both earthly and otherworldly. Inspired by beauty, daydreams, and spiritual connection, my art invites viewers to pause, explore, and feel a sense of energetic rejuvenation. Each piece is both a reflection of my own inner world and an invitation for others to reconnect with theirs.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
While I was in graduate school, I visited an art museum and encountered an Infinity Net painting by Yayoi Kusama titled No. Green. No. I. The moment I saw it, I was completely absorbed. Even hours after leaving, I felt as though I were floating, high on the energy of what I had seen. That experience changed me. I became deeply drawn to Kusama’s life and work, and she became a muse for me. Her obsession with the infinite and her desire to dissolve the boundary between self and universe resonates with me on a spiritual level. It’s a perspective that now shapes my art and how I move through the world. Viewers often compare my work to images of galaxies or cellular structures under a microscope and to me, it’s all connected. We are all stars, polka dots, and black holes.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I’ve faced many moments that could’ve broken me but I pride myself on the fact that I haven’t given up. The only reason I’m finding success now is because I’ve refused to quit, even when things fell apart. I’ve had to rebuild my life more than once, pivot careers multiple times, and start over after losing what I had worked so hard to build. In my art journey, I’ve faced setbacks – financial investments that didn’t pay off, shows canceled by extreme weather, being dismissed by others because of my genre, and countless rejections from galleries, exhibitions, and shows. But I’ve learned to view every challenge as a lesson rather than a failure. I keep creating, keep pushing, keep innovating. At the heart of it all is a deep knowing that my art and the healing process behind it has the power to help others break free. That belief keeps me moving forward, no matter what.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, I think so. I value authenticity and stay true to myself, even if that makes me stand out. I think genuine connection is rare because many people are afraid to be truly seen. But I embrace my own uniqueness and celebrate it in others. It’s freeing. I’ve never done well feeling caged in my life, my work, or my identity.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
What would remain is my essence, as in my pure consciousness. In my spiritual practice, I don’t identify with the physical body, my name, or the social roles I occupy. I believe our true self lives in the heart space, not in the mind. Ask most people who they are, and they’ll gesture to their head. But to me, the brain is just an organ. It ages, dies, and decays. Our spirit remains and is not concerned with our egos. So, what remains when everything else is stripped away is something eternal. And within that spirit, we are divine. Who we truly are transcends shifting roles and material things.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dreamtopography.com/
- Instagram: taragill_art
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreamTopography/
