Tiffany Waugh

Art has always been a part of my life, but last year’s Placer Artist Tour really lit something new inside me. It was my first time participating, and the experience was so inspiring that I decided to take a leap and go solo in 2025. At the same time, I found myself pouring more into my children’s education, their hobbies, and their creative dreams. Naturally, that meant I wasn’t producing as much work this year—but surprisingly, it opened up something even better.

Spending so much time around my kids has brought me back to the heart of why I create. Watching their pure, unfiltered excitement reminded me that art doesn’t have to be serious or perfect—it’s about wonder, exploration, and expression. I started paying closer attention to what art was doing for me mentally and emotionally too. I found that even simple neurographic doodling helped ease my anxiety, clear my mind, and improve my memory. That realization pushed me to experiment more—taking those little sketches and turning them into textured, larger pieces, like the playful night light-inspired artwork I created for the Outside the Box: Reimagined Gala.

Even though I’ve stepped back from juggling multiple art groups, I’ve been lucky to work on projects close to my heart—like painting murals for a new homeschool family center. This fall, I’ll be leading workshops at the center and guiding students – both child and adult- on how to tap into that childlike joy of creating, without overthinking it. No matter your skill-level- you deserve to create.

So this part of my artistic journey hasn’t been about stepping away from art—it was about getting closer to it. And thanks to my kids, I’m seeing it all with fresh eyes again.