A Journey of Healing and Inspiration
Kia Ora, my name is Tessa Zank, some may know me as Zank Art Realm. I’m a Hauraki-based artist.
I’m a mama to a gorgeous 11-month-old baby girl, Haysel, and when little miss goes to bed at night, I dive into my art world and sometimes lose track of the time. That makes for a very tired mama the next day.
Like many, I was a very anxious and depressed young soul. I only knew unhealthy ways of dealing with all these emotions – until I found art and the beautiful people I now have in my life.
My partner Chris is always pushing me to be seen with my art; it just takes one person to make you see your worth, and I’m so lucky to have many in my life who do this and inspire me. Finally, I found a safe realm for me to heal in the form of creation. My work started off very dark. I noticed as my healing progressed, my art became more filled with rich vibrant colours and strength. A huge part of my healing process started when I gathered the little courage I had in me and applied for an art and design level 4 certificate in Tauranga. Linda Munn was the teacher who really reached into my soul and showed me there’s mana and healing in creation. I remember coming to class one day very numb, and I didn’t want to talk. Linda handed me the paintbrush and told me to “let it all out, girl”. So I did, and the heaviness began to lift.
I’d fallen in love with this part of my life so fast I finally fitted in somewhere too. I felt so proud of my art. Therefore, I was proud of myself, and we all know how tough that can be sometimes, we can be our own worst enemies. A few years ago now, I had the privilege to be a part of the art scene at the Aum festival; that was one of my most unforgettable moments – that place definitely inspired my trippy hippy art style. I once again got the courage to start up a stall at the Ngātea markets, which is an absolute ball of a time. My partner and mum help with Haysel so I can do this; when they say it takes a village to raise a kid, they aren’t lying. I love surrounding myself with creative open-minded people.
My goals with my art would be, to get more crazy Zank Art Realm clothing out in the world and to be able to help people who are struggling with mental health. I want my future to be about helping others through the art form; I’ve found peace in getting everything out of my head, and onto a canvas. I seriously don’t think I could have made it this far in life if it wasn’t for the beautiful souls around me and my art.
Art is my mental health safe place.
Check out Tessa’s artwork at Click here
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