While sketching out my ideas, I found myself

I fall, I stumble, but this is all me

Presenting the very talented artist Natasha Maillefert, for project ‘Me to Be’

‘Follow your heart, do the things that you really want to do and it won’t feel like work’, it’s one of the mostly used beautiful and thoughtful sayings for a happy living.  But how many of us really follow it? Just stop worrying about anything else and focus on following your passion. I have myself experienced the pleasure of doing something that you like doing and I am very grateful that I get to speak to or meet people who like doing what they do.

It gives me immense pleasure to introduce you to Natasha Maillefert who is a prime example of following the heart.

 Natasha lives in London and she is the mother of a beautiful six year old girl. She has been fascinated by art from a very early age and ever since then she has been bringing her ideas into life by her beautiful creations. When we see something beautiful, the eyes just stop there, mesmerised by its beauty. Personally, my preferences for paintings are the ones which use light, has life, create a sense of magic around and caresses me with joy. Normally, people never go into the details of how long it took to paint, what did one give up to come with that, the materials to use, the various use of light, the artistic blocks, dissatisfaction with your own piece of work, the obstacles you overcame and also the idea that he/she may not have painted for years. Who goes in to the details? But when I was doing the story with Natahsa, I went in to the details. Because even for a person like her, who has been painting mostly all her life, it wasn’t easy and she gave it up for nearly 10 years. Please read on….as they say from the horse’s mouth.

 “As a child, I was constantly obsessed with what my hands could make. I’d rush back from school just to watch heartbeat and art attack (art programmes) and drive my mum crazy with hundreds of loo roll creations. I’d do anything from drawing, card making, paper cuttings or trying to replicate my dad’s sugar paste flowers (lucky for me he’s a chef) but drawing was my main thing. Most kids were getting consoles or phones and I was happy getting a box set of colour pencils and some paper for Christmases and birthdays’.

Following are some of her pieces of work 

 As I said there are people including ‘yourself’ who would force you out of your ‘comfort zone’ and ask you to make a living and earning outside your area of interest. You know your thing is ‘drawing’ and ‘creative arts’ but still due to a lot of reasons and circumstances you go out and do something else. Natasha left her passion for 10 years with the odd drawings here or there.

 “I decided to pick up my pencils again when my little one turned 2, it was a struggle at the age of 26 yrs old, I found myself starting over, learning again. It got really boring as I’d spend longer deciding what to draw then actually doing anything”.

 At this time, you might feel like giving it up. The thing that was so close to you and came so easily to you, suddenly became a draining, dragging and a forlorn task. I can relate to Natasha so much because writing used to come very easily to me and then I left it for a number of reasons. It was hard getting back. I may not be known as a writer to anyone but for me, I was. “I was my favourite”. He he…you see other peoples’ work, and then you compare and you discover how rubbish you really are. All these things, do stop you from doing what you really like doing. Anyways, shifting focus to Natasha’s life.

 “Then at 28 I found a revelation, Instagram, it became my new teacher. This was the first time I saw such amazing pieces of work from your average joes and they were very willing to share their techniques, to this day I have met some amazing people that I can call friends through social media sites that have helped me. I wasn’t lucky enough to learn any great art techniques, my education finishing at secondary school but through the years social media has given me so much help and has changed my work drastically”.

“My main passion in life now is being able to stay at home with my 6yr old, watch her grow and at the same time being able to do what I love. I draw for many hours, I’ve missed days sometimes but it feels so natural. If I’m not drawing I’m baking or making cake toppers or cards, constantly keeping my hands busy. I don’t make much from my crafts, it’s not a job at all but a passion is good enough for me”.

 Of course, passion is good enough! You are really lucky that you have found yourself, through your art and your love for it shows in your work. You don’t have to go anywhere, all that you deserve would come to you. I loved knowing you Natasha and I am sure the readers have loved reading about you as much as I enjoyed writing about you.

 You can see her work at

Instagram: Moustasha83


And please do visit her Facebook page and don’t forget to like: Tasha Maillefert Art

Much love

 Suranjita

Suranjita Bhagawati

Hello and welcome to 'Mumways'. I am Suranjita and I live in London with my three lovely kids and husband. Mumways is for inspiration - Writing about parenting, well being and lifestyle. I hope you enjoy going through it and thank you for visiting!