Meet Our Teachers: Tammy Wright aka PaperTams

Tammy, our resident right brain and left brain teacher, leads our Creative Business Classes as well Mindfulness with Midori Travelers Notebook.  She is a fellow letter writer and gardener.  She has some great new classes she is developing now that are centered around different kinds of journaling (that is all we will say for now, you won't want to miss them!) Here is some background on her and her style:

My name is Tammy Rhome Wright, but friends and family call me Tams. It’s a nickname inspired by the beach music band, The Tams. I grew up in North Carolina. Beach music festivals and Shag dancing contests were quite popular throughout my childhood.

My passion is seeking out objects and ideas that embody both beauty and function. Nature gives us many perfect examples. Seashells are my favorite. Making mail art is my attempt to turn something beautiful into the function of a package or envelope.

You might not guess this about me, but my teaching security blanket is an artist apron. There’s a back-story. In short, I love Studio Ghibli animated films. Hayao Miyazaki is an inspiration. When I think of him I see him in his artist apron. So when I teach mail art workshops, I wear one similar to his. It’s silly, but it works for me. 

If I could give one piece of advice to someone at the start of their creative journey it would be to always remember what Maya Angelou said – “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

I believe in snail mail because it’s been a part of my life since I was a little girl. My parents gave me a roll top writing desk when I was 9 years old. I fell in love with the beauty of stationery, handwriting and the patina of a well-traveled letter. To me, a hand written letter is an object that holds both beauty and function.

What I love about teaching at the Paper Seahorse is the energy of the people and the space. Since I was kid, I wanted magic to be real. As an adult, I see magic in the act of creativity. There is much magic making at The Paper Seahorse. You only have to be in the space for a few minutes to see and feel it.

Thanks for the awesome mail art example Tammy!.  To get more writing, journaling and general outstanding creative inspiration from Tammy, visit her at:  www.papertams.com or follow her on Instagram @papertams.