August Moon Muse

Tamar Friedman

Design, Motherhood, and the Art of Going with the Flow

Meet Tamar Friedman (41)- a Givatayim based designer whose curiosity has blended fashion, trend forecasting, entrepreneurship and strategic consulting into a singular, quietly confident practice, now tempered by motherhood and the slow wisdom of turning forty. She traded the city’s frantic pulse for a backyard that breathes- where art and nature become a classroom of possibility; where patience, play and the courage to experiment guide both her work with creative brands and the way she raises her children, Yuli (9.5) and Gal (5) with her husband, Yoel. In her world, strategy is not a fixed map but an ongoing practice- a way to help creators while modeling patience, play, and resilience for her children as they grow.

"As a mother of two, my natural characteristic of going with the flow helps them see the beauty in change and embrace it, even when it’s hard. We live in a country where reality changes instantly, so this mindset is necessary."

What is your journey as a designer and a mother, how has it influenced your creative identity?

My journey as a designer has been quite winding, driven by a lot of curiosity. After finishing my Textile and Fashion Design degree at LISAA in Paris, I wanted to try everything. I started in fashion design at Tara Jarmon and later moved to their marketing department, which taught me how a fashion house actually operates from the inside. After that, I worked at Première Vision- a global trend forecasting agency that curates the world’s largest textile and fabric fairs. That role trained my eye to read international market trends and understand where the industry is heading.

Coming back to Israel, I launched my own business and sold to retailers abroad. Managing my own brand taught me the real, daily grit of entrepreneurship, which eventually led me to study strategic consulting at the Technion. For the past 6 years, I’ve been practicing consulting- combining my design background with business strategy to help other creators. Turning 40 brought me the consciousness to understand what actually aligns with my life’s path versus what just sounds exciting

Becoming a mother made me stop the race and connect to growth, to an innocent gaze, and a different way of looking at the world. How lucky that suddenly in my thirties, I could adopt a softer, more human, and childlike perspective. The world needs it so much. Love. As a mother of two, my natural characteristic of going with the flow helps them see the beauty in change and embrace it, even when it’s hard. We live in a country where reality changes instantly, so this mindset is necessary. It connects to the concept of Samsara; moving through different cycles, wandering, and learning to flow together. I don't always succeed, but the work is never done

How have you curated your home environment to reflect both your artistic vision and to inspire your children’s creativity? 

I don't really feel like I'm 'curating' our home, because the children are constantly growing and their needs change every single year. For me, the real challenge is simply to make space - which sounds easy, but it’s an ongoing process. It means making space for new desires, new ideas, and for the people we are becoming, both the kids and myself.

I love being surrounded by art and nature, and that was actually the reason we left Tel Aviv. After almost 12 years there, the hectic energy of the city was becoming too much; it no longer reflected my deepest desires, and I felt I had no more room for creation. Moving here gave us our lovely backyard, which we fell in love with. Even in times of war- which happen quite a lot here - we can go out and enjoy our own little piece of nature. It helps us reconnect and gives us that essential breathing room

As someone who works with strategy and creative brands, how do you hope to foster your children’s creative thinking, and how do you see your own career and life journey evolving alongside them?

In a world that is constantly changing, my biggest hope is to give my children the confidence to experiment, to play, and not to be afraid of making mistakes or just being silly. Even adults in their 40s or 60s often feel insecure about where the world is heading. At the end of the day, all we can do is keep trying, and to do that, we need to maintain our sense of playfulness. It’s what keeps our experiments fun and ensures our curiosity never fades.

I think that patience and experiences are the key to evolving a child’s creative path - not judging, just let them play. It’s definitely easier said than done, and I try to practice this myself every day. Creativity needs space and time. It is the exact opposite of productivity, but I try to intentionally make time for it during the week by putting my phone down when I'm with the kids and letting myself truly indulge in family activities.

"The older I get, the more I realize that strategy isn't about having all the answers - it’s about having the courage to keep exploring, staying soft, and staying open to the next cycle."

What specific practices or activities do you engage in with your children to nurture their creative instincts?

We spend a lot of time together in our backyard, whenever possible, and we just let nature do its thing. Sometimes I’ll set out paints and brushes and simply start painting next to them, without forcing them to join. Sometimes they jump in, sometimes they don’t.

I really try not to be judgmental about what they do - which is an endless, ongoing internal work, of course! More than anything, I show them that I know how to be silly and mess around. I want them to see that adults don't have to be rigid, and that life doesn't have to bend your back, despite the difficulties that pile up along the way.

As a busy creative and parent, how do you find moments for self-care or inspiration? What practices help you recharge your creative energy?

To be completely honest, I often feel like I don't dedicate enough time to cultivating my own creative side. It’s a constant balancing act. But I do have a few anchors: I practice yoga every week, and I try to go for walks -not to get somewhere, but just to let my mind wander. It’s a kind of walking meditation with no fixed destination. I’ve realized that it’s precisely in those moments, when I’m not forcing productivity, that my best ideas actually arrive. Allowing myself that aimless time to just think and breathe is how I protect and recharge my creative energy.

Follow Tamar:

@tamar_friedman_

https://www.tamarfriedman.com/

Photography: Eden Maarek

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