Teneshia La’Rae D. is an African American Mixed Media Artist, Trained Professional Life Coach/ Art Recovery Life Coach, Entrepreneur, & Wedding Officiant, living with CPTSD and Bipolar Disorder. She owns and operates two businesses, ArtMindtld LLC and Art N’ SHOPtld. In networking with community-based organizations, she is expanding clientele to provide more accessible and flexible options built around the needs and experiences within the community.
Photo Credit: Armando Diaz (Instagram: @outtherenj/ Facebook: Armando Outthere Diaz
The Beginning
Her story begins in grief and trying to move forward from that all-consuming grief. She felt as though I had been in a deep sleep. Not only was she grieving another loss; she was also grieving myself. As she started to wake up a bit, she went looking for help, answers, solutions, community, anything that would get me through the nightmare she was living. She was so used to just surviving and in my search I quickly realized that the area in which she live is limited in resources.
The Process
It started with one image a lot of thoughts, feelings, and memories with no direction. She wasn’t sure where it was headed or where she was going until she started writing down the clutter in my sketch pad and processing it through imagery. She started sorting her illustrations into stages.
Seeing the images laid across the floor she recognized a familiarity. They were the stages of her life. She didn’t break her but she had to fix herself. Though her art she felt vulnerable, shame, guilt, and many other things. She wanted to just keep it hidden away. It didn’t feel good at first but, it became a way for her to convey the things she couldn’t say and helped her to connect with others.
The Mission
She has had to create, stability, structure, and build community in her life. She has started to outreach and build it locally where there are barely any resources. She has taken what she has learned through her experiences to create products and services that inspire, empower, and promote self-care and mental wellness.
Business
ArtMindtld LLC- Own’s and operates a business that teaches Art Recovery & Life Skill Workshops offering alternative methods in processing feelings, emotions, ect.to parts of the community limited in resources and programs. Providing alternative options that focus on building support and promoting mental wellness.
Art N’ SHOPtld- Own’s and operates a business creating products and services that inspire, empower, and promote self-care, and mental wellness.
Certificates/ Trainings
Professional Life Coach- Acquired certificates in Professional Life Coaching, Therapeutic Art Life Coaching, Self-Healing Coaching, and Somatic Healing Coaching from Transformation Academy.
Ordained Minister- Ordained through the Universal Life Church Ministries to officiate non-denominational and non-traditional wedding ceremonies.
Work & Volunteer
University of Delaware Art For Thriving Minds- Taught a youth workshop on Coping & Symbolism to promote self-awareness to be able to cope with emotional dysregulation.
Hopes & Dreams Resource Center (BCCS)- Taught Art Recovery & Life Skill Classes/ Workshops that help in providing a safer environment to help people express and process emotions through alternative methods. These courses use art to visually convey a message that may be challenging otherwise to put into words.
New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center & Cottages- Taught art recovery and life skill classes to underprivileged youth, created programs that worked around their life experiences and helped them process feelings and emotions and recognize patterns cycles and behaviors that led them to their current circumstances.
Boys & Girls Club- Pegasus Art Program/ Lead Art Teacher – Develop and implement detailed lesson plans, newsletters, and forms. Tutored students and created activities for students to positively stimulate physical, mental, and emotional growth. Traveled to different schools throughout Kent County.