In this episode of The Career Flipper Podcast, host Jenny Dempsey chats with Victoria Tara, a Ukrainian-born contemporary artist based in Miami with a story that’s full of heart, bold choices, and beautiful color (literally and figuratively).
Victoria shares her journey of flipping from a career in psychology and real estate and interior design to becoming a full-time artist. She opens up about the inspiration behind her vibrant paintings, how spirituality and meditation shape her creative process, and why trusting yourself — even when it doesn’t make logical sense — is everything.
She reminds us that every single experience in life, even the ones that feel totally off-track, adds to the story and can help guide us to our true calling. Plus, she gets real about making time for creativity when life is busy, and shares practical tips for artists (and aspiring artists) trying to juggle it all.
Victoria’s story is a powerful reminder that art reflects healing, growth, and self-trust. Her career flip is rooted in deep personal exploration — and her words will resonate with anyone standing at the edge of something new and uncertain.
Episode Takeaways
Connect with Victoria
Victoria 00:00:00 So I feel it's very important to really do what we love in life, because that sense of fulfilment shines through to the rest of our life.
Jenny 00:00:14 Hello and welcome to the Career Flipper podcast. I'm your host, Jenny Dempsey. Just a regular human out here trying to make sense of work, life and all the weird in-between stuff. One messy, unexpected change at a time. So here's the deal, though I am not some perfectly polished career change expert. I spent 18 years in the customer experience world at tech startups and really thought I was climbing the right career ladder. But then the latter kind of vanished. I got laid off, hit with hundreds of job rejections, and kept running into closed doors. It felt like the career I'd worked so hard to build was basically saying, nope, not this way anymore. So I had to figure out a new way forward. I did some freelancing to stay afloat, and then one day I grabbed this old junky coffee table from my friend's basement, gave it a total makeover, and totally fell in love with furniture flipping.
Jenny 00:01:10 Check out San Diego Furniture Flipper on TikTok and Instagram if you want to see the magic. And then one night I had this super random dream and woke up thinking, okay, I guess I'm starting a podcast now because honestly, career changes are weird. They're overwhelming. They can be lonely and confusing and super imposter syndrome inducing. And I just had so many questions like, how do people pivot without completely losing their minds? How do you keep going when everything feels uncertain and you have very little money left in your savings account? And how do you balance full time work with side gigs and still like sleep? So instead of spinning in my own little anxiety tornado, I thought, why not talk to people who've actually done it? So here we are. And each week I sit down with everyday folks who've made bold, messy, brave, or totally unexpected career flips. We get into the good, the bad, and the what am I even doing moments. So you can feel a little less alone. And today's guest is an absolute beam of light.
Jenny 00:02:14 I'm chatting with Victoria Tara, a Ukrainian born contemporary artist who now lives in Miami, Florida. Her journey is just so full of color, both literally and metaphorically. Victoria started her career in psychology, then moved into real estate interior design, and eventually followed her heart into the world as a full time artist. Her paintings are bold, bright, soulful, and overflowing with energy. And in this conversation, she opens up about what it really took to trust herself and make the leap. We talk about the role of spirituality and meditation in her creative process, how art became a tool for healing and personal growth, and why every experience, even the messy, uncertain ones, adds to the big picture of who we're becoming. She also gets super practical, sharing advice for anyone trying to make time for creativity while juggling life and work and all the things. So if you've ever felt that quiet nudge, or maybe it's a loud inner scream pulling you towards something more fulfilling, this one's for you. Let's dive in.
Jenny 00:03:24 Victoria, I am so curious. The inspiration for your painting specifically that really bright green one in the back. I know people listening can't see this, but how do you how do you find inspiration in the shortest way you can describe it? How do you find inspiration?
Victoria 00:03:44 well, first of all, I want to express my sincere gratitude for being here with you and our listeners. And, I'm really grateful. I'm really happy to to be here with you. and that, that painting, the green one is called The Healing Journey. It actually, maybe we could share my website somewhere in the notes where we could point out to that painting as well. Healing journey. While most all of my paintings, unless it's a commission, they reflect my own process. Of course, like any artist, I would imagine. So at that time, it was a very intense time when I was undergoing deep healing emotionally and physically and spiritually. And I just got my art studio here. This one, the one you can see.
Victoria 00:04:44 And for me, it was, kind of like a point of like, okay, now I could relax and I could heal. And this painting came through. And it was actually also during the Covid when everything shut down and it was like nowhere to go. So I was happily stuck in my art studio and I was like, okay, great, nowhere to go. So I just focused fully on my art. And this is the painting that came through the first one.
Jenny 00:05:17 That's awesome. And that's the one that I was gravitating to and was I love hearing the background on that. I'm so happy you're here, Victoria. I always love starting with a fun random question, so thanks for letting me dive into that. but it is really great to have you here. You know, I heard you speak on, Galena Marcus's in the Art scene podcast, and I instantly resonated with your episode, your story of how you lift your career, in multiple different ways and found your way into art and I think it's an incredibly bold leap and an incredibly brave leap to find our way to something that is actually going to not only be our job, but something that's also going to nurture us.
Jenny 00:06:06 Just as you explained with this one particular piece, which will definitely drop in the show notes. But how these things that we find can also become part of our healing as we are doing them. So Victoria, tell everybody who you are, where you are in the world and what you're doing today, and then we'll dive into your career flow so well.
Victoria 00:06:27 I am now located in Miami, Florida. I've been here for about 24.5 years, almost 25. I moved to the States in 2000 and originally I'm from Ukraine, so, well, I, I've been here doing all kind of different things. it was a big move, obviously, And a lot of things have changed. And, I felt like all of a sudden I was free to just do what, what I always wanted to do. But for some reasons, I somehow didn't have a chance. So I just, like, exploded with everything when I moved here. And so I got my second education in the States. My first one I got in Ukraine, which is, clinical psychology.
Victoria 00:07:22 I have master's degree in clinical psychology, but I always, always, always has since I remember myself, I always wanted to be an artist. It just, I guess it's such a challenging thing for the parents to accept when their child wants to do something as they see it. Not so practical and not very like concrete and like a job. Job. But my both parents had a 9 to 5 job and secretly when I was a child, watching them. I mean, my father really loved what he was doing. My mom was not so sure, but just watching them going every day, every day, every day. Somehow it was weird. As a child, I remember myself looking at that and and thinking, I want to do that. I want to be free. Yeah, I want to. I want to work hard. I want to build something, but I want to really love it, and I want to be flexible. I want to wake up in the morning and sort of like, see how it goes.
Victoria 00:08:30 And, you know, it's like, I don't have to do what I don't want to do. Somehow it maybe it was a rebellious period of mine at some point, but I don't know. I mean, I did have jobs in my life. It was okay. I loved what I was doing as well, but. But now I'm really in love. I am so being an artist. It has been a long journey. let me start from the beginning. Like when I was a child, I always wanted to be an artist, and I painted, and I, went to art school. When I was in high school, it was like two schools in the morning in high school. And then it was a seven years art school in the evenings, which was really intense for a child to, to go through that. But I was so determined that I really want to be an artist. And after that it's like, what do you do? We just don't have a specific like university for artists.
Victoria 00:09:30 Where I was from, I was very it's not like quite an industrial, but also I was just like not very artsy oriented kind of place. And when I was growing up, I was more like an alien Aliens. They're like a new little kid. So. And my parents. My, my. I was 17 after school, after I graduated from our school. And my parents just didn't want to have me go to another city anywhere, basically anywhere away from home. They felt like I'm not ready, but I don't know. That's how it happened. So they said, pick anything. as soon as it's you staying home. About everything. Everything I picked the most they thought was the craziest other thing. As crazy as being an artist, which was psychology. And so. Yeah. So I graduated. and it was the most amazing experience just learning about myself and other people. And I of course I gravitated towards art psychology, art therapy, psychology of unconscious His archetype. everything to do with, psychology of creativity.
Victoria 00:10:54 That was my area. Of course.
Jenny 00:10:57 Makes sense. Yeah.
Victoria 00:10:59 Yeah. So. And then, just before graduation, there would be like. So. Okay, so who would you be? Like, what kind of job would you have? And long story short, they kind of like redirected me to towards, psychology and marketing, psychology of advertisement. So I graduated with, with that. And I got a job right away. really interesting private company that was booming at the time. So I had a job as a marketing psychologist. Yeah, it was fine. I really enjoyed the the environment. We, we travelled for work, went to England for me at the time, it was like amazing. And so yeah. And then long story short, I moved to the States. And, I still had that dream to be something to do with art, and I wanted to be an interior designer. So I went to Miami Art Institute. I got my second degree in interior design. And I thought that would satisfy my artistic kind of, desire to to be creative.
Victoria 00:12:21 Somehow, I did not dare to even want to be like, a free artist. I thought supposed to be in some kind of context of interior design or something like. Or art therapy. Anyway, so I worked for a few years in Palm Beach and in very, very beautiful, small, very exquisite interior design. Redesign. like boutique studio we did in my truly amazing projects there. And then I thought, I want to have my own business. I want to have my own interior design company. I want to have somebody else's name. I was just so ambitious back then. And so then I moved to Miami and I thought, well, I want to do design on my own property because as an artist, I will really do what I want with design versus working for client. And, you know, that was kind of easy. I want to like, take it to the next step and have my own office and my own name and all that. So I thought, okay, so I need to buy my own property so I could do my own design on my own, space.
Victoria 00:13:39 So, okay, so let's let's get real estate license. Oh, boy. It just, It just it real estate kind of just took me. It was a back in 2004, and it was booming in Miami a lot. So I kind of got into the flow of, I work for developer. I, of course, bought my own property. I started the project designing it, but I was already so involved in, in just real estate and what it had at the time. It was just like very happening. Yeah. So. Okay. And then the whole thing crashed.
Jenny 00:14:29 Right. What did you do then?
Victoria 00:14:32 I had I had three properties at the time that I was renting out. I did my design and it was doing great. And then it just I guess it was a point of my inner development that I felt like, you know, just running after material, some kind of like another job or another project or another. This another somehow did not satisfy me because I already work with such a beautiful properties and clients and everything was great except for something inside of me was missing.
Victoria 00:15:11 Like I'm not living my life or something and I wouldn't. I didn't understand what it is that is missing. It was something like the happiness I had, but it was like a glimpse of it. I wanted it more permanent. Yeah. And I could not understand what it is, but it's sort of like translated itself into me getting into meditation and spirituality and traveling to India and having a spiritual mentor teacher. So I started traveling to see, spiritual teachers that there is a native with. And that totally changed who I am. Totally changed my values, my directions in life. All of a sudden I just wanted to go within and meditate and go deeper. And it was, like, incredibly fulfilling that, experience of deep contentment, deep fulfillment that, I had it before, but before it was like a glimpses of it. And now it was more, all encompassing and so, so. And then in one of my trips to India, the whole I, the paintings came back to me. I just had the vision of my first painting while I was in Ganga.
Victoria 00:16:43 Just taking, you know, like purification. It was a specific time of Kumbha mela. It was very like auspicious time to to get into Ganga and to to like, dip the whole body in the Ganga. And I had no idea at the time what the whole thing means. I just followed and I had a vision of my first painting and this knowing that that's what I'm going to be doing next. So I came back to Miami. I started my my first painting, and it was already like, what you see, it's just like the circle of motion. It's like mandala type of very colorful, uplifting, like happy painting. So it and it was in 2010, so 14 years ago, quite a while. So I still kept my real estate license. I'm still active, I still do. you know, real estate, but sort of like it also shifted on a different level. Now, I don't actively kind of chase it, but if I have a referral or somebody I know needs some help, I, you know, I've been doing it for 20 years.
Victoria 00:17:58 I really know how to do it, but I, I'm also focusing on my art, which is, which is such incredible, fulfillment I receive from it. So I finally feel that I truly found my purpose and deep calling and and, as I said, everything that I'm doing also shifted, like real estate. It's it's it's so much more fulfilling as well, somehow. And my relationships and my relationship with myself. With my body. With, you know. So I feel it's very important to really do what we love in life, because that sense of fulfilment shines through to the rest of our life. So that's a short version.
Jenny 00:19:01 Quick break for a not so sneaky plug. If you're an artist or creative who works with clients, think commissions, murals, custom furniture, or even selling your work online, then you know how tricky it can be to handle communication. Whether it's setting boundaries around revisions, replying to those, just checking in messages, or figuring out how to say no without sounding like a jerk.
Jenny 00:19:26 My customer service training courses on Udemy have your back. They're short, super practical, and based on everything I learned in nearly two decades of working with humans. The great, the messy and the. Oh, what do I even say to this email kind. Over 16,000 people from around the world have taken them there under 60 bucks each. And yep, they help keep this podcast running. Check them out over at the Career Flipper. Your clients and your creative energy will thank you. Okay, now back to the episode. Thank you for sharing all that. I have so many questions for you, Victoria. And the first question, I guess, is just kind of like the realistic day to day. So you create this art from very deep inside you and you make these vibrant, beautiful paintings. Do you have them in galleries? Do you sell them? Do you use some of that marketing psychology background and promote yourself? How does that kind of factor in to the day to day?
Victoria 00:20:32 Sure. I think, Everything that I have been doing, even though it seems like kind of like a collection of random things to do.
Victoria 00:20:42 But somehow now I see from the, from where I'm right now, I see that everything that I have been doing has been perfectly orchestrated to to give me experience that I, I had to get me to where I am right now, every person, every education and every experience at work. I feel it was so valuable, exactly how it was. And I'm sure I'm using, you know, my psychology knowledge, my interior design, you know, just to how to place it in someone, someone's home, you know, it's, I do commission work when I create a painting for a person or family or a space Specifically for to uplift them. I meditate, I have a special process to do that. And so and then of course I advise what, what what to put it and how to frame it. And so and psychology I feel it's just our life. You know we'll deal with psychology on all of us. You know, we all have relationships. And even if we are decided to go and live in the cave on top of the mountains, we still have a relationship with ourselves.
Victoria 00:22:05 So psychology, is what we all need. And the way I sell it. Yes, I have online galleries and I every once in a while I have, art show I'm looking for. Actually, I'm looking for a permanent, representation gallery or Art dealer. So maybe if somebody has in mind a place which could resonate with this kind of art, I would be, very grateful. So, I'm, you know, it's something that as every artist, it's a process, you know. you know, I'm selling through personal connections, through recommendations, through websites. and then. Yeah, and in terms of finances and also every once in a while, I have my real estate, deal going on. So, so all of all universe provides.
Jenny 00:23:16 Right. And I think that's such an important part to share because a lot of people will, you know, not go into art or not go into something that they like doing because they're afraid of not having money. And I think we get held back by that.
Jenny 00:23:32 and your story clearly shows that the things that you've learned in the past are really these transferable skills that now let you the actually, it seems like along the way here in your story kind of gave you permission and even ignited more, you know, creativity to allow you to do what you're doing now. And I think that I don't know, and I, I speak for myself, and I think sometimes we forget that the things that we've done in the past, even though there may they may not be the things that we feel like we want to do forever or that bring us a lot of happiness, are things that can help be a step in the direction toward what we want. And those skills that we learned are not to be lost. They're to be repurposed in a way. And your story really highlights that. I think because you said something early on and when we were talking was that you had a hard time kind of grasping or thinking of yourself early on as just doing art. And, you know, you went to school and you got your masters and them, you know, with real estate and interior design, like all of these things that are very much like easily packaged.
Jenny 00:24:43 You know, we can understand them on a very easy level. They're easy to, to say. But when you say, yes, I'm an artist, they're there are questions that come with that. There's a, as a as an incredible, you know, talent it is to be an artist. There is a stigma with that, like you mentioned, for your parents or, you know, parents, like, we don't want our kid to be a starving artist. You know, there's there's that stigma with it. There's, you know, you tell someone and people instantly go, well, how do you make money? And so people start to like, put their own stereotypes and things on this. So but it really leaning into your story and going back to this like it's personal development, turning inward, you know, taking the time to really reflect on your life experiences, who you want to be and how you want to be. And and what I'm hearing you say is the answers were always within you.
Jenny 00:25:38 It just took taking the time to kind of unlock them. And I'm wondering if, if you'd be open Victoria to sharing a little bit more, you know, this time when you were in India sounds very profound and it sounds like a big pivot point that kind of led you to a new down, a new path. Are there things that you've learned that you learned during that time that you know, whether it's through meditation or different, habits or routines or thought processes or anything that kind of came through that you think could be helpful for someone who's also navigating a career flip or considering it. Are there tips or advice that you could offer from your time there that you think might help someone else? You know, things that really helped you?
Victoria 00:26:28 Well, there's so many things. Well, what comes first is, to really trust yourself. Because, in the hearts of our hearts, we all know what we really, want to do. Everybody. Everybody has it. It just. So we live in a society that sometimes most of us, or a lot of us, or some of us, or at least I was, in the environment where, unwillingly.
Victoria 00:27:07 But my parents were doing everything to shut it down and to have me do what they think is good for me, not what I. Feel or want or love doing. And I see a lot of people coming from the same place Is where they have a hard time trusting themselves. and it's not an easy one. It's really challenging. It took me decades to finally, finally relax and and and trust myself. And I feel that it was really a blessing because, it was not easy, but now I, I feel it was like, the biggest blessing that somehow, somewhere, something in me. Just give it a try. Just give it a good, good try. And, and I just I just did it so, so and so. It was a lot of obstacles. It's not easy. But that love and that destiny that we are born with, it will give us wings to to do what we love to do. It just have to hear it and have to trust it. And, which is like the most natural thing on Earth, because this is if the bird is born to fly.
Victoria 00:28:33 How can it not trust its own wings? You know, so that's how it is. Like where it's like the most natural, easiest thing to do in life. It just unfortunately some something when we were young, some beliefs, it just beliefs. Right. And I would also it would help me a lot. I was doing my spiritual work. Like I worked with spiritual teachers and of course in miracles Byron Katie meditation. Just taking time. just taking time for myself. When I went to India, I was just disconnected from everything. And I was in an environment that I had no idea what's going on. Well, just. I was like, what are those people doing? It was so out there, out there that is sort of like relaxed my mind from grasping. And it was just like pure experience of the present moment. Yeah. And that place miracles happen.
Jenny 00:29:41 Thank you for sharing that. I think that that tuning inward, even when you may not know exactly what's going on, is really important.
Jenny 00:29:50 And even, you know, if you just take the time, whether it's meditating once a day or once a week, or even just the small little snippets that we think we can't do, or we think maybe to woo woo are actually really incredibly beneficial. And I can speak to that, because there's definitely points in my life where I was like, no, I don't meditate. No, that's not for me. But really, this past year I made it a goal All 2024. I made it a goal to, to meditate at least three times a week, and I can and you know, I'm not. I will say with full transparency, I love the woowoo, but I'm necessarily not so much a woowoo person myself. I, I can be a little skeptical, but, the power of meditation, let's just say like it's that tuning inward and taking time, is really, really valuable. So hearing you share that and really stepping outside of your comfort zone, it sounds like, led you back to you.
Jenny 00:30:58 And, you know, Victoria, one thing that I want to ask you, because I know a lot of people listening, are artists, but they also work full time jobs and they're very stressful. and a lot of the times they don't have or they say the story they tell themselves is they don't have the time for art. And I'm wondering if you can touch on something that may, you know, through your journey when you found the time to do art and now you're doing it all the time. But for someone who might be not giving themself permission to lean into the artist part of themself, is there something that you think could be valuable for them to listen to or to do, or anything along those lines of how to give themself that permission to just take five minutes a day to doodle or paint or whatever it is to lean into that part of themself and not not trust it.
Victoria 00:32:00 It has to trust the process. And, if someone really loves painting, like I really, really, since I remember myself, I was always, as a child, that painting, drawing.
Victoria 00:32:16 it's such a natural part of myself that I almost don't know. How could it? Could I be not painting and drawing even like when I was in university and sitting at the lectures, taking notes on the side, I would be doodling like I was drawing because I just could not know how to sew. And I'm sure the artists that are listening to us without musicians and artists or visual artists, it's something that is their nature. It's what, what what what gives them joy? What gives them, who with who they are. well, of course, in our world, it helps to schedule time. Like, let's say. Okay, Sunday. I'm off. Let me turn off the phone. It really helps. Don't turn on the TV wi fi off and, and just see what happens. You know, to me, sometimes I have a couple hours that I could paint, and I cannot push myself to paint. I just sit in silence. Then I just sit in silence. And I just like being in silence.
Victoria 00:33:44 And then it might happen or might not happen. Something from within me. It just kind of comes up and unfolds and it's my inspiration. And sometimes it's just time to rest. Nothing comes up and I just the the thoughts are too heavy or too, overwhelming. And I just have to go and take care of whatever needs to be taken care of. You know which which is okay, but but then, next time I do it, it comes and it comes and it comes. And sometimes you just don't stop for days. You just. They want it to evening. I, I don't need to eat. I don't need to do anything. I just pain, pain, pain. But I have a practice of turning my phone off of, making sure there is not like any kind of emergencies could be happening. So I disconnect and I go within and then I cannot control it then. Then it just flow, just comes through. So again, meditation to me is, is is the way and meditation is not particularly to sit, in a lot of fours and chant, and it is state of mind.
Victoria 00:35:07 It's, we could, I could wash, wash dishes and my mind goes into this like meditation. space. Meditation is is being present in whatever thought comes. Who did what, what what you know, out there. I bring it back to. Okay. I'm washing dishes here and now. This is how it feels on my hands. And this is how it looks so clean and beautiful now. And. And it's like being really present. And somehow the mind rests within that time. And with that trust, creativity comes. It just flow opens up through that. So. But if you could, if you were drawn to go to any kind of, teacher or meditation classes or it could be also very helpful. Just so much going on right now. We have online we could find any possible guide, teacher, anything. But, You always trust what feels true for you? Yeah, and someone said that that will, That will bring you to a beautiful garden full of roses. It's like a metaphor for.
Victoria 00:36:29 For the state of, joy and, contentment. Yeah.
Jenny 00:36:35 I love that. I love that, and I think the golden thread weaving through your story has been art from day one, and your ability to tune inward and find your way to where you are now through all of the the schooling, through all of the jobs. And you're in a place where you're creating beautiful pieces of art and bringing them to the world. And, Victoria, where can people find you? How can they see your art? How can they connect with you?
Victoria 00:37:08 well, my website, if we could include it would be great w WW. Victoria. Tara. Tara. Victoria. Tara. So this is my website and Instagram page I have which is also Victoria dot Tara dot art. So be happy to share the art and stories. So thank you so much.
Jenny 00:37:38 Well thank you so much for for being here, for sharing your journey. And I will definitely have every link in the show notes because I want everyone to go see your artwork.
Jenny 00:37:50 Like there's no way to describe it, you just have to see it. And so I just think you can describe art.
Victoria 00:37:57 It's not easy.
Jenny 00:37:59 There are no words.
Victoria 00:38:00 I have, people ask me a lot like artists. What kind of art do you do? It's like, well, let me show you.
Speaker 3 00:38:08 Yeah.
Victoria 00:38:09 So I say I paint the light. But that's not much of it. That's very concrete.
Speaker 3 00:38:20 Yeah.
Jenny 00:38:22 No. It definitely. Once people see it, they will understand. And so I hope that this brings enough curiosity to them to go check it out. So definitely if you're listening, go check it out. Victoria. Thank you so much again for being here. You are wonderful I appreciate you.
Victoria 00:38:39 Thank you. So are you.
Speaker 3 00:38:42 Thank you.
Jenny 00:38:43 Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Career Flipper podcast to connect with Victoria. Check out the links in the show notes. If today's story hit home or you know someone who's stuck in their own career limbo, share this episode with them.
Jenny 00:38:57 Seriously, it might be exactly what they need to hear to keep going when things get really challenging. Oh, and if you got your own career flip story, or maybe you know someone who has one, head over to the career flipper.com com to see how you can be part of a future episode. And hey, just remember every tiny step counts. Even when it doesn't feel like it. You got this. What's the best that could happen?