I think Tia may be one of my new Insta faves. She is just so smiley and you know how I love anyone who smiles. Her Instagram feed and stories are filled with joy and offer so much positivity and empowerment to her followers. She officially delivers training on photography and instagram, but there is so much more to her, including her keen eye for fashion and her inspiring blog posts.
Tell me a bit about yourself
Hi, I’m Tia. I’m 42, live with my husband and 2 children in Hertfordshire. I’m a photographer, stylist and blogger and an occasional teacher of all things instagram.
Where did your love of photography and styling come from? I always love all your pictures and wonder where you get your inspiration from?
I picked up an SLR when I had my first baby 12 years ago, I taught myself how to use it, and kept going ever since. I probably owe my styling skill to my mum, who was a florist during my childhood. We ( my sister and I ) learned how to wrap flowers, make bows, and small arrangements from a very young age, so I didn’t realise I had this skill until Instagram came along and I began to play with flowers and teacups.
Your Instagram has grown so well, why do you think this is? Any tips or tricks?
I think my instagram has grown quite slowly in comparison to some, but I honestly don’t mind that at all. It’s been a wonderful tool, to grow my business, to connect with fellow creatives and lady bosses. So as long as its serving its purpose, I would say don’t worry about the numbers and enjoy the ride.
What do you love/hate about Instagram?
I honestly love instagram, it’s changed my life. It’s connected me with people and brands that I could only dream about in the early stages of my career. The only downside is that Instagram is time consuming, and some days I just don’t have enough time to feed the machine.
I’m intrigued by peoples morning routines and how they set themselves up for the day. What is your breakfast/morning routine?
I don’t have a routine, my career is an erratic one, some days I leave the house at 5 , some days 6, some days 7, some days I do the school run and some days I get to stay at home all day. What’s constant in the routine everyday is a shower, tea and kisses to wave everyone off. We’re not allowed to leave the house without a kiss.
In the last 5 years what new belief, habit or behaviour has most improved your life?
I have changed my life 360 degrees in the last 5 years. Nothing is as it was. I was depressed, with no career and had returned from Canada without a home. I have slowly but surely built myself up to living the life I dreamed of. It’s a simple life, but I love it.
If you could put one book in the high school curriculum what would it be and why?
I simply couldn’t put one book, there are so many… but I quite like I Am Malala – some people have to fight for an education. It is vital that the children of today understand how lucky they are to have this simple need met.
What impact do you want to have on the world?
I hope that through my photography I can make normal everyday women feel beautiful. To make them realise that they don’t look as bad as they think they do. I hope that I can spread the message of acceptance of oneself is key to many things, including how your daughter sees herself. I also talk about my career on Instagram, so that others see that you can carve out a career for yourself if you want it enough.
What do you wish you could tell your younger self?
Stop stressing,I worried so much about things…got so anxious about things. I would tell myself to relax, because things always work out in the end.
You can find Tia on instagram as tiatalula
Shelley x
