In this episode of Made to Make, host Shannon Grissom sits down with mixed-media artist Tiffany Waugh to explore a creative life driven by curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to follow inspiration wherever it leads. Working across watercolor, ink, acrylics, digital art, crochet, sewing, and mosaics, Tiffany shares how creativity has become both a practice and a way of life.
The conversation dives into the fascinating world of neurographic doodling, a creative technique that helps uncover emotions, process experiences, and spark self-discovery. Tiffany also opens up about balancing artistic pursuits with the demands of everyday life, embracing risk in the creative process, and learning to trust unexpected opportunities.
Whether you’re an artist, maker, or someone who simply wants to reconnect with your creative side, this episode offers an encouraging reminder that creativity belongs to everyone—and that sometimes the most rewarding journeys begin with a simple “yes.”
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction to Creativity and the Podcast
00:40 Tiffany Wall’s Creative Journey
10:12 Understanding Neurographic Doodles
11:08 Balancing Creativity with Life
15:08 The Importance of Taking Risks
18:59 Creativity: A Universal Trait
24:04 Future Projects and Aspirations
24:22 Lessons Learned in the Creative Process
TAKEAWAYS
- Tiffany Waugh’s creativity spans multiple mediums.
- Neurographic doodles help in self-discovery and emotional processing.
- Balancing life and creativity requires intentionality.
- Taking risks can lead to unexpected opportunities.
- Creativity is a trait everyone possesses.
- Saying yes can open many doors in life.
- Artistic journeys are filled with learning experiences.
- Planning can evolve into a more spontaneous creative process.
- Community involvement enriches the creative experience.
- Reflecting on past experiences can guide future projects.
ABOUT TIFFANY
Tiffany Waugh is a mixed-media artist whose creative practice is rooted in curiosity, experimentation, and a desire to transform fleeting moments of inspiration into tangible works of art. Based in Rocklin, Tiffany embraces creativity without boundaries, moving fluidly between watercolor and ink, acrylic painting, digital art, crochet, sewing, and mosaics to tell stories that are both deeply personal and visually engaging.
Known for her fearless exploration of materials and techniques, Tiffany’s work reflects a playful yet thoughtful approach to the creative process. Whether working digitally or by hand, she is drawn to the emotional connection between artist, medium, and viewer — allowing intuition and imagination to guide each piece.
Her work has earned growing recognition throughout the regional art community, including Third Place in Digital Art at the 2023 RFA Juried Show, selection by the Auburn Symphony to promote its 2024 Drama at the Symphony, the People’s Choice Award at the 2025 RFA Membership Show, and Third Place in Acrylics at the 2026 RFA Juried Show. In 2026, one of Tiffany’s tiny mosaics was also selected for the BNSA exhibition at the Crocker Art Museum.
Tiffany is currently creating new work for the Placer Artists Tour, where she will exhibit alongside Judy Levine at Hilltop Oaks Winery.
Connect With Tiffany
Website: www.tiffsdigitaldreams.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffsdigitaldreams?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiffany.waugh.16?mibextid=wwXlfr
Wanna Try Acrylics? Here’s a great starter set: https://amzn.to/4ueLRRl Note: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission from qualified purchases.
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TRANSCRIPT
Shannon Grissom (00:00)
Welcome to Made to Make. Here we talk about creativity, the challenges that come with it, and why we keep showing up anyway. Because hey, we are all made to make.
Welcome to the Made to Make podcast. I’m your host, Shannon Grissom. Today’s guest is Tiffany Waugh, and you know her creativity knows no boundaries. From painting and digital art to mosaics and fiber arts, Tiffany follows inspiration wherever it leads. Welcome, Tiffany.
Tiffany Waugh (00:36)
Thank you. It’s so good to be here with you, Shannon.
Shannon Grissom (00:40)
I’m
so excited. So I wanna start at the beginning. As a kid, were you always creating? What was your childhood like?
Tiffany Waugh (00:48)
that yes I was always creating my grandmother was actually an artist and I have pictures of her of her sitting in a in our like lounge chair and I’m sitting on her lap and she’s teaching me how to crochet and I’m in a diaper so I’m like two. And then I know she was like you are gonna be an artist just like me and so she would teach me how to do art while my mom was working. And I also have some pictures
or they’re not pictures, they’re little pieces of paper that I drew like circles and I was drawing all these little characters on them and she she wrote at the top Tiffany age 14 months
drawing circles. And I was Wow. I know I recently found those. And then she did a yeah. I found that and it’s it’s in my parents’ garage, but I wanna save it and frame it. I really want to frame that. That’s cute. So yeah. I’ve I’ve always been creative. I got the bug very young
I want to send you a picture of a portrait she did of me and I’m probably two. And then all around me are my drawings of little caribs. Cool. It’s really sweet. So I’ll send that to you.
Shannon Grissom (02:05)
How c
my
God that’s great. You totally had a creative upbring. So you work in so many different mediums. What draws you to each one?
Tiffany Waugh (02:13)
Yeah, I did.
I don’t know, it’s like I see other people make something and I go, I want to do that. I don’t know if it’s like I wanna collect the
mediums and try them all out. I’m not sure. There’s just this, like I love to watercolor and it’s like I see somebody do something and then I want to try doing that. Then I see somebody make something out of mosaic. I want to try doing that. You know, I just want to see what it’s like to make it, I guess. And then if I if it clicks with me and it’s easy to make
or you know, it brings me peace, it brings me joy, then I’ll keep using it. I just I love using so many things.
Shannon Grissom (03:07)
Do you start with like a a clear vision of what you want to create or do you just start creating and see what happens?
Tiffany Waugh (03:15)
I do both depending on the things. If I make a neurographic doodle, which I don’t know if you know, it’s like a Zen tangle. Okay. So if I do that, I don’t go in with a plan, usually. I just start making something, which I love doing. and then if I
If I have a like a moment that I want to capture, then I I go in with a plan. And if I take a big canvas, I gotta find the right canvas and everything and then I start. actually I’ve started not sketching first. I’ve just started painting and then making it like layer up, if that makes sense. I used I used to spend a lot of time sketching first, then painting.
And then outlining. And it was just like I don’t have enough life to give to this anymore. Like I just wanna just get it on there. Stop worrying about all the those details first. That I I spent too much time doing that. So now I paint just I just sorry.
Shannon Grissom (04:27)
No, you know what, that’s I I too started doing a very detailed planning, very detailed drawing and then almost like coloring by the time you get to that point. Yeah. And now
I just start painting and see what happens. Right. But I wanna get back to your neurographic doodles because when I was looking at your color book, the first thing I saw was she’s doing neurographics in her coloring book. So tell me how that came about.
Tiffany Waugh (04:57)
Okay, well that’s I love that. how that came about was I started giving more time to my kids to go do the activities that they want to do. They’re thirteen, ten, and nine. And I was kind of the mom who was like, I can only handle one big event a day. And then
As they got older, I was like, you know what, they need to be doing their own thing. And so then I became a chauffeur. But I can’t just sit there. I can’t just sit there and watch them do karate for an hour. So I decided to buy a journal from Ross. It was so cheap. It was only four ninety-nine, but really thick, good paper. I got a pack of pens, and then everywhere I went and sent them, I would sit and you know, I have to sit there and watch them. So I’m sitting there watching.
And in an hour I would get done a whole page of a neurographic doodle. I would scour Pinterest for ideas and then just whatever came to me, I would just do it there. And so you know, now the parents are watching me do this and the kids are saying, What is that? I like that. And then so many people were noticing how I don’t know, like kind of like crochet. You can just kind of zone out. You can be there around everybody, but you can
be alone doing your own thing and I just got a lot of feedback that people would like to color them so I stopped coloring them and I just started outlining them and just keeping them black and white with coloring in mind and then I made a book. I just told my husband I want to make a coloring book. Let’s do it he was like okay so he’s got it up there on Amazon for me.
Shannon Grissom (06:47)
Well I like that that you have left a page blank on each side so that it’s not gonna bleed through so that people
Tiffany Waugh (06:56)
Yeah,
I like to and and that depends on you know I really want to do? I want to take my own coloring book now and I need to take all the different mediums that I have crayons, colored pencils, all the different like posca pens and see how it reacts with the paper. Because it’s just I don’t know, I didn’t get to choose the paper. Amazon chooses that, so I’d like to see what happens and then maybe get
with a company to make it like better quality paper. I even saw a there was a a book in Barnes and Noble that was a coloring book with watercolor paper. And I was like, hold on, I c I would like to do that. So I don’t know how to contact that, but I like got the information on the back of who published it and I’d like to contact them.
And see about making that happen because that would be that would be awesome if you could watercolor the neurographic doodles. That’s that’s even better. I love that.
Shannon Grissom (08:05)
Well for those you know, I’ve done a l a lot of neurographics, it’s a great way of working through things. So for those people who d have no idea what we’re talking about, can you explain neurographic doodles?
Tiffany Waugh (08:17)
I okay, I’ll try. I know that there’s it’s for me, I’ll just explain what happens to me. Okay. When I do them okay, it’s like our neurons in our brain are creating a puzzle and then solving a puzzle. That’s how I try to explain it to other people because it’s like also so any intersection that is made.
you round it out and I think that’s what like draws me to mosaics because it’s the same thing. It’s like fitting these pieces that you want into a puzzle, but you’re drawing it and then making it look like stones or something sitting next to each other or circles that are sitting next to that weren’t there a second ago and now they’re there and you created it. I don’t know. And it’s something with our our
eyes, our brains, our hands, doing all of that together that like helps with our memory, helps us calm down, helps steady our breathing, you know, helps us sit there in a room full of people and not feel intimidated or scared or anxious. All of those feelings kind of who and like I get a lot of voices I that sounds crazy.
I don’t have voices in my head, but like a lot of worries, a lot of thoughts, a lot of to do lists, all the things are all like buzzing around. I sit down and I d just give myself the time to do that and it’s like they go away. It’s quiet. I don’t know. It’s like I have a I’m focusing on something else and it I can only focus on that instead of all the other things buzzing around.
Shannon Grissom (10:12)
I I love it. I it’s it’s great for all those reasons, and I also use it for as a tool for self-describe self-discovery to open up new new say this three times fast, new neural pathways. But like like I’ll pick a topic, let’s let’s say I’m stuck with something and I and I’m I’m I’m stuck on what to do next or I’m processing something that’s uncomfortable. I’ll just put that word out in my head and then I’ll just start drawing on the paper. And so as I
I see these little paths going off and getting stuck, I I consciously open them up so that there’s a w so that there’s a way out. And and as I’m doing that, like you said, it just calms me down, gets me into a mellow place. It’s just awesome. So we’ll put links up there for people that want to check that out. So
Tiffany Waugh (11:04)
be great.
Shannon Grissom (11:08)
You are incredibly busy. You’re homeschooling, you’ve got lots of art events, you’re you’re very involved in the community. How do you balance all this with your creative time?
Tiffany Waugh (11:23)
that’s a great question. I invested in a calendar with boxes about this big so I can like write all the I don’t know how I balance it. I just balance it by
Just telling myself I can do it, really. Like if there are only there’s only been a handful of times just recently as school was wrapping up that things were just like too busy. Like baseball was ending, as ballet was ending, as an art show is starting and I have to hang up art in another place.
that only happens like that only happened just recently. So really I I do feel busy, but it feels fulfilling. I feel like everybody’s getting to do what they want to do and I’m getting involved I don’t know, there’s something about being involved with people that I c as an artist, I can’t sit here all the time be by myself. I need to be engaging with other people, be I need to be showing them that
art is important and and I don’t really know the answer why it’s important, but maybe the only importance is connection with other people. and I I feel like that’s really important for me to keep doing and being involved in or else I’m gonna be very lonely. I don’t want to be lonely artists. I like connecting with other artists and or even people who just appreciate art, obviously. Like I want to
I want them to see art and and appreciate it. That’s I don’t know. I don’t know. That’s a f that’s a how do I balance it though? I don’t know. I just wake up and I look at my calendar and I go I go make it all happen.
Shannon Grissom (13:23)
Do you ever get stuck?
Tiffany Waugh (13:25)
Do I ever get stuck? yeah. All the time. And I think what back to what you do, because I can do maybe that’s why I do so many. Yeah. that’s why. Yeah. look at you scenario. While my acrylic paint is drying on something, I will go and transfer to crochet. I will make a little fidget toy.
Shannon Grissom (13:29)
How do you break out of that?
Tiffany Waugh (13:55)
And then once that done, once that’s done, I’ll go back. If it’s not ready, I’ll start on a watercolor. And or maybe like my friend my it’s my friend’s birthday and I want to make her a greeting card. Okay. Watercolor greeting card really quick. Bada bing, bada boom. We’re done. I think that’s why I like so many mediums. Cause I can switch through. I can’t sit still. That is really what it is. I cannot sit still. And I
I don’t get stuck a whole lot. If I get stuck, if I get stuck, then I’m either sick or sad or something like that. Or, you know, or I’m trying to like sometimes I feel like I’m trying to unlock like the next thing that I want to do. And when I’m stuck trying to figure that out, I just
go outside. Or I go, I don’t know, there’s like a little voice in my head that like kinda leads me to wherever I need to go to f to unlock it. No, I just follow that that voice, that inclination, and I go make it happen.
Shannon Grissom (15:08)
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Tiffany Waugh (16:00)
that that my voice matters. Hm that I’m just I don’t know, yeah, that my voice matters. you know, everybody has a story and mine’s important. And I didn’t think it was. I didn’t I just thought I’m just a mom. What does it matter? it matters. Matters a lot. And you know, the little things that I’m going through.
I can paint about them and connect with other moms.
Shannon Grissom (16:33)
You’re
definitely not one to wade in the pool, you dive in. And so I’m I’m a diver too, so I can I can relate. what risks have you taken that l led you somewhere totally unexpected?
Tiffany Waugh (16:54)
the placer artist tour. When I first did the placer artist tour, I was terrified. I was like, I don’t do big pieces that take a long time to make. I don’t do I don’t feel like I do big pieces that cost a lot of money. Anyway, I w I didn’t feel up to par, but I was like, whatever, I’m gonna just gonna go see. See what it’s like. And my gosh.
They provided so many opportunities. the list goes on, but like because I did that, I was chosen for the Auburn Symphony to be one of their artists on their brochures and to promote all their shows. And so I got to have my art up at the Auburn Art sorry, the Auburn Symphony’s Art in the Park. That
Flung that door wide open. I got paid for that. they set it up in front of everybody at the performance. They they thank you for making it. I mean, it was like, you know what I mean? Like, this is too much. And then there was there was a hotel. There’s a hotel up in Auburn that has all the first time artists come and show their art.
So everybody who’s interested in seeing all the first time artists, they come for that night, there’s a huge reception and everybody talks and mingles and looks at your art and asks you questions and it was just like, Wow, this if I had said no, I wish I would have said yes a long time ago, but I didn’t I didn’t know about it. But you know what? Once I found out about it and I just did it, the reward was just incredible. I couldn’t I couldn’t believe it. And now I I love
being on the Plaza Artistur, I couldn’t I don’t know, like I feel like so many things happen because I said yes to that. So many things.
Shannon Grissom (18:59)
You know that’s a good good when you think about life in general, just say saying yes. Yeah. Opens up so many doors rather than thinking about it, well maybe or you know, just going for it. Well, I think everybody’s creative. And and so what do you think the big misunderstanding is for people who don’t think they’re creative?
Tiffany Waugh (19:15)
Yeah.
well, I think it has to do with time and like y and what you value. If it is something that you have done in the past and you long to do it, like you just have to give yourself that time and that permission to see the value in it. And I think if you are overwhelmed and you are
you don’t mind having like a little messy house or like just make yourself a little space, like a little desk. These this desk is really small, but it holds my little things and you know, whatever. And that’s my little messy space. I love my little messy space. I think that’s what Yeah, some people don’t value it and that’s okay. I value it. I value it a lot. I notice when I do it I am healthier mentally.
And maybe not physically, but that’s okay. I can do other things too. But that’s not true. I go out, like if you go outside and you go sit in the shade and you know, that’s that’s really good for your health. And I feel like more people should invest in that.
And it doesn’t matter if a million people see your art. If you just make it for you, then it was time well spent. If you just make it for your family, it was time well spent. It doesn’t I don’t know. That’s what I think people don’t see that.
You don’t see you don’t see me sitting at the baseball field in the shade. some people do if they’re there at the baseball field, but like you don’t understand what that’s doing for me. I’m hearing people walk behind me say, my gosh, look she’s painting. that’s so nice You know, like and whispering, I wonder what she’s doing. How long is da da da and then they’re asking and so like that
That is huge to me. I I love to hear that. I don’t get that when I’m sitting here in by myself. But when you’re out outside getting that vitamin D, getting that fresh air, and you’re make taking that time to make something, it is so valuable, so valuable, so worth it. And I wish more people would invest in doing that for themselves.
Shannon Grissom (21:53)
Yeah. Is there a medium or project that you’ve been wanting to do that you haven’t got to yet?
Tiffany Waugh (22:03)
Not yet. I’m in the middle of a project that I’m creating. But it is a it’s in the works. It’s in the works. It’s a big wooden canvas. I like to use wooden canvases that are framed because the work is already done for me. And now I can just paint on there. I don’t need glass. I don’t need a frame. It’s already done. So
And it is large, but I have taken it to a lake to paint on it. But I just wanted a visual of the connections that I’ve made on social media because I was feeling lonely recently and I I don’t know, there’s just something about like that number not moving at all or like every time I’d post something, the number would go down. And I was like, what’s that supposed to happen?
I was like, I really want this number to go up. I want to make more connections and friends with people. So I started making a painting where every brush stroke and it’s it is a neurographic doodle, technically, it’s just very large scale.
And it’s visual data, I guess. Dadul data visualization? I don’t know. It’s something like that. I don’t know all the technical terms, but it’s like I wanted to see how many followers I had. And so now it’s growing. And it’s I called it the ripple effect. I’m calling it the ripple effect. And at this moment it has exactly 6,000 brushstrokes. But my number keeps growing. And so I keep working on it.
and I don’t know what the next I don’t know what the next project is. That’s my first real project that I’ve been wanting to work on just for me. except for like some painting some portraits that I’ve been doing of my family and stuff. So still working on those two slowly but surely. They’ll be at the Plaza Artist Store though.
Shannon Grissom (24:04)
So where can people find out more about you?
Tiffany Waugh (24:07)
I have a website with all my links and you can buy prints from me or just follow me on TikTok, Instagram, and yeah.
Shannon Grissom (24:22)
As we’re wrapping up, I was just thinking, what do you wish you knew when you first started that you know now?
Tiffany Waugh (24:31)
Hmm. Maybe that it just it doesn’t matter. it doesn’t matter that I’m making art for anybody else other than myself. Make it for myself. Make it for my family. Some of my most cherished art pieces are ones my grandma made. Okay? So she made that for me and I want to do that for my kids. I wanna pass that on to them and
instill the the love of arts into them, which they all have that. It’s just they’re all different, which makes me so happy. It’s like anyway. So I wish that I wish that I just didn’t feel like I had to make art for anybody else other than myself.
Shannon Grissom (25:20)
I love that. I love that because that’s really what it all boils down to. Well, thank you for being here, Tiffany. You’ve inspired me in in real life as well as during this podcast. So that’s a wrap, guys. We will see you next time. Please be sure to like, subscribe, and share so that I can bring more inspiring episodes to you. Bye bye.
Tiffany Waugh (25:28)
Thank you, Shannon.