Sleep-Ins Are off the Cards for Kuku Yalanji and Hungarian Artist Tiarna Herczeg

Welcome to Bedtime Stories, an interview series where we ask inspiring individuals to share their nighttime routines and sleep secrets. For this instalment, Tiarna Herczeg shares the morning and evening routines that support their life as an artist.

Deciding to stop studying two and a half years into a university degree is a big decision to make – but for Kuku Yalanji and Hungarian artist Tiarna Herczeg, the lifelong dream of pursuing a career in art was something they were not willing to give up on.

This drastic change in career paths after abruptly ending their Law & Arts degree had multiple consequences. They lost their part-time job, which resulted in not being able to afford to keep a roof over their head. Tiarna didn’t let these adversities get in the way of their goal, and continued to create art as a form of self expression, uploading their paintings to Instagram and slowly building a loyal following.

“I started sharing my art online as a way of tracking my own progress, and it wasn't until someone asked to buy one of my works, I realised this could be a viable career” they shared with Bed Threads Journal.

Slowly but surely, sucess became imminent for Tiarna, with different galleries such as Brunswick Street Gallery, aMBUSH Gallery, and Curatorial+Co reaching out to have the honour of displaying Tiarna's work.

Tiarna is still learning to put boundaries in place so they can enjoy work and life separately; constantly creating and using past and present experiences as catalysts for inspiration, Tiarna has devised morning and evening routines that suit the ever-changing needs of their artistic expression.

Evenings are always accompanied by indulgent self-care practices by candlelight, and mornings follow a rigorous set of practices such as stretching, tongue scraping, mushroom extracts, dry brushing, and a cup of matcha before they begin their day.

We spoke to Tiarna about art, life, and the all-encompassing morning and evening routines that support their ability to create, and how the pandemic changed the trajectory of their life.

What is your solution for those nights you simply can’t nod off to sleep?

I’ve always been known amongst friends as the person who falls asleep the quickest. If you put a pillow behind my head, it's over… I’m asleep haha. However, if I can’t nod off, it's usually because I have a lot on my mind – or I’ve had an espresso martini. It’s been helpful for me to write down my thoughts, that way I can physically acknowledge them and return to them the following day. Breathwork, reading, and a warm cup of herbal tea help too!

Do you have any strategies for managing stress or maintaining a calm mindset?

When I am really stressed I tend to freeze – finding it difficult to actually get anything done. I’ve learnt not to underestimate the power of moving my body. Sometimes I will just jump on the spot and shake my arms around… sounds kind of wild haha – but it reinvigorates me.

How are you able to mentally and physically switch off from work?

As an artist, I don't think I'm alone in saying this is one of my weaknesses! I lack a lot of boundaries around work-life balance because my mind is always racing with new ideas.

It’s a bit of a double-edged sword because I’ve found that doing things I enjoy outside of work helps me switch off. However, because I feel inspired by doing these things they seep back into work. It's a continuous cycle I'm working on – ask me this question in 5 years haha.

Do you have any projects coming up you want to talk about?

I’m always turning out new works – however, I'm especially excited to be working towards a solo show next year. In fact, I have been dreaming about this show for a while. It is my goal to make this show a bit of a sensorium, an experience that expands visuals. A way of bringing the audience into my experience!