Making the Surreal Real with Tash Jacob

Natashya Jacob is a painter, gallery worker, and self-taught artist based in Chicago whose oil paintings blend animal symbolism, surreal interiors, and a quiet mysticism that makes her inner world visible. She is also Saara's cousin.In this episode, Saara and Tash trace the full arc from growing up between Dubai, Kansas, and Minnesota to a 12-year HR career to following an inner call to pursue painting professionally. They get into the business of art, turning your passion into a profession, the fear of leaving stability as a first-generation daughter of immigrants, and what it takes to build discipline around something that's supposed to be fun. They also talk about the role of community in the artist's journey, procrastination, and what it means to choose your challenges.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Tash Jacob04:22 From Dubai to Kansas to Minnesota10:21 Finding Art and Choosing HR12:58 Leaving Corporate15:19 Discovering Shared Mysticism19:02 Inner World as Art26:19 Building a Cohesive Body of Work30:24 The Business of Art36:57 The Fear of Leaving Stability38:14 New Territory as First-Gen Daughters43:54 It Just Kept Getting Louder47:25 Grounding Practices52:27 Discipline as a Creative58:41 Chicago's Art Community01:03:29 What's Next01:04:05 Closing QuestionsConnect with Tash@TashJacobArtConnect with Saara⁠⁠@SaaraLampwalla