I'm creating a community for creative expression and connection.

Hi I'm Laurel True. I am a creator, artist, teacher, traveler and seeker of universal truths.  I believe everyone is creative and has the ability to develop a creative practice. 

My passion and professional experience lie in architectural mosaics, community-based street art and public creative placemaking. My personal studio practice includes exploration and experimentation with mixed media including glass, mirror, paper, photography and ephemeral art. I employ a variety of techniques including collage, assemblage, drawing and mosaic.

You may be familiar with my work through my True Mosaics Studio, which has specialized in creating site-specific mosaic projects for public, private and healthcare spaces for almost 30 years. I got my start in this very young; inspired and mentored by artist Isaiah Zagar in Philadelphia and then working in the tile industry before launching my own professional practice.

In 2005 I co-founded the Institute of Mosaic Art (IMA) in Oakland, CA, a community education and resource center for those interested in mosaic art and inspiration. I developed a huge amount of curriculum for workshops, courses and professional development training in the mosaic arts. IMA had a huge ripple effect in our community on the west coast and internationally, welcoming thousands of students, and visitors a year.

Since the beginning of my career I have been interested in teaching and traveling and have pursued both, many times together. Through grassroots funding efforts I was fortunate enough to travel to West Africa as a teenager, participating in community development projects and then going on to travel, study and teach in both formal and informal educational settings in Senegal, Mali, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Tanzania over the ensuing decades.

In 2011 I founded the organization Global Mosaic Project, an organization that fosters art education, creative community development and arts entrepreneurship in urban and developing areas. This has primarily been through the co-creation of mosaic murals, street art, creative placemaking efforts in parks and community spaces, and in hospitals and clinics.

I have a special interest in partnering with organizations focusing on environmental issues, social justice, and public health. Much of the 2010s was spent partnering with organizations doing work in Haiti, New Orleans and Latin America.

I am a huge proponent of community. And fostering connection. 

As my 25+ year teaching practice moved online in 2020 I sought ways to connect with creative seekers through interactive, online courses, artist talks and through developing supportive cohorts through which people could connect, explore and stay inspired.

Over the past year I have developed a series of online courses exploring Conscious Creativity, the natural world around us, and the infinite energy of inspiration, both inside and outside of us. 

These courses have been extremely generative for participants, each having its own private online cohort embedded into the True Creative Community network.

The “main room” in our True Creative Community (where you are now!)  is a wonderful place to share with everyone and find tons of inspiring articles, links, artwork and connectivity.  

Connecting through the True Creative Community has been a wonderful blessing, and an inspiring way to continue to create the wonderful mosaic of life.

The True Creative Community is a super welcoming, accessible space to connect with other creative people interested in the connections between inspiration, mindfulness and creative practice. 

It’s a non-medium specific gathering space through which to share creative ideas, inspirations and explorations with others. You don't need to have one iota of “art experience” or identify as an artist. Even if you are not convinced that you are a “creative person” (you are!), you will find a creative home here. 

While I have focused on mosaic art in my professional career, our group is not about how to make mosaics. It’s about how to foster a relationship with our creative selves and how to gently develop a creative practice that is fulfilling and generative. The only “goal” being…well-being. 

Yep. Feeling good. Being ok to experiment and explore without having to worry about “not knowing,” being perfect, posting things on social media or keeping up with some imagined idea of how to be creative.

We got you!  

Let your creativity and creative practice unfold at its own pace. There’s lots of support and inspiration here.