Meet Lisa Agaran: Professional Artist, Instructor & Retreat Leader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Agaran and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, what role has risk played in your life or career?
For me, taking risks has really helped me to discover what ideas work and have proven to be successful in my business. As well as reveal ideas that looked good on paper, but may have completely missed the boat. I believe taking risks is an essential part of keep your business growing in the right direction and keeps it innovative. In my business, an idea or vision would come up that I felt really strongly about executing. The only way I could discover whether my following resonated with it or not was to go for it, produce it and then get it out there. Don’t get me wrong, I always did my homework and research before deciding to move forward in making that vision a reality. I can use my art retreats as a good example. It started out as a vision, then I researched venues as well as the logistics. Eventually, I got to a point where I had to green light it, put it up on my website and hope that people would start registering. If I never took the risk to try something completely new to me and entered through that door of uncertainty, I would have never realized the success of my art retreats. That risk led to hosting several art retreats in the coming years after the first one proved to be successful. I believe the universe knows our potential better then we do. We have a tendency to underestimate our ability for success and especially doing the thing we deep down inside see ourselves doing. So when the door opens, whether it’s an opportunity or a vision, we have to find the courage to take a risk and walk through that door despite our doubts and fears. When we do that, we might just realized our powerful we truly are.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is True Creativity Within. I provide art classes, workshops, coaching and retreats to help empower the beginning artist to discover their untapped creativity. Through the use of mixed media and non-traditional art making, I help the student/attendee uncover their inner artist and ability to make art that they love. Because of my background as a psychotherapist and creativity coach, I also help students move past self-doubt, over-thinking and blocks that keep them from honoring that true artist that exist in all of us. True Creativity Within also provides other tools like online courses and guided visualizations to help enhance creativity and prepare for entering the creative process. Much of what I teach is based on my own experience as an artist and spending many hours navigating the challenges of the creative process. Often our worse enemy is ourself judgement and inner dialog. Because I have walked this journey many times in my own art making, I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Part of the creative process is the frustration, self-doubt and the negative stories we tell ourselves. If we can learn to navigate through the hills and valleys of the creative process, we can reach a place where our true creativity shines in our work. What sets my business apart from others is that I not only teach my students how to work with the creative process, I empower them basic artistic skills and knowledge. Also because I believe that creative expression is essential to our wellness, I help students establish a creative practice that they can add to their wellness routine.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Sierra Madre is a hidden gem in the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley. Visit Creative Arts Group, an art center that’s been around since 1965/ They showcase amazing artists in the gallery and also offer art classes. Then you could stroll through the village to grab lunch at The Only Place In Town. There are other little shops and coffee shops to stop into as well. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Creative Arts Group, Sierra Madre

Website: https://truecreativitywithin.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truecreativitywithin/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrueCreativityWithin
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LisaAgaran