Tama Leia is a multi-talented artist who works on fashion films and ad campaigns as a model and actress, but one of her all-time greatest loves is music.
“I’ve started singing and writing a lot of songs recently. I jot down verses and choruses on magazine pages, or on scraps of paper, I’m always creating,” She laughs, “I think I might like singing even more than talking. Sometimes it’s my favorite way to communicate. It’s my language of love.”
Beyond her roles in the world of fashion, film, and music she is very fond of literature and is in the process of penning her debut novel which takes place in New York City.
“New York is such a lovely city. It’s one of the most inspiring places in the world for me to create as an artist.”
And although her novel is an ode to New York City she also calls it “a love letter to the world” denoting that it is a sort of parallel to real-life events and includes all cities and nations.
After getting feedback from friends, family, and magazines, (who were given samples of her work), Leia tells us she has lots of re-writes to do. “It will be a very happy way to start 2023 - figuring out some re-working of the plot, to make it stronger and to ensure it matches the quality and intensity of the first 4 chapters. ” She muses.
When asked what inspired her novel Leia gave us some very profound insight:
“If you look at a culture you will see that is always either contracting or expanding. It never stays the same. When it is expanding you will see an uprise and flourishing of the arts and education. When it is contracting you will see quite the opposite. As an educator and an artist this is something I love to study about, and I noticed that the downfall of every great empire in history and every culture that has ever vanished can be traced back to the decline of the arts and the suppression of education.”
Leia works as an artist daily and contributes to a non-profit educational foundation where she writes an educational journal inspiring others. “My entire existence is about uplifting our culture and creating a brighter future.”