Usually, this column is about food, health and habits. But well-being isn’t limited to what’s on our plate or how we move our bodies. It’s also about how we think, how we respond to life and the environments we create around ourselves.
Through our “Inspiring Stories” series, we highlight individuals whose lives reflect different expressions of wellness. This week, New Orleans artist Terrance Osborne offers a perspective rooted in creativity, intention and a deep sense of presence.
Terrance Osborne’s work is instantly recognizable: bold color, movement and a style deeply rooted in Louisiana. Just as striking is the energy behind it: a sense of ease and clarity that carries through both the work and the person creating it.
This story is less about where he is now and more about how he chose to get here.
Terrance grew up in New Orleans, surrounded by creativity, but without clear examples of the life he would eventually build. His stepfather was abusive, and the models around him — of both career and manhood — were inconsistent at best.
“I didn’t have an example of how to be a father,” he said. “But I understood that hurt people hurt people. And maybe that was his story, but it wasn’t going to be mine.”
As a kid, art was something others responded to early on. “My first hustle was kids bringing me their jeans,” he said. “They wanted Bart Simpson or Mickey Mouse drawn on them. I’d do it with permanent marker — ten, twenty dollars.”
Those early pieces likely didn’t make it through the wash. But they showed him that what he created had value. Everything began to shift when he met artist Richard Thomas.
“I worked in his gallery,” Terrance said. “He had students come in, and he’d teach us. I don’t know how he did it — teaching all day, then working with us at night — but he did. He gave me my first paintbrush and canvas and said, ‘I’m going to show you how to paint. When you sell this one, buy your own supplies.’”
“As a kid, you either think you know everything, or you make yourself smaller,” he said. “I was making myself smaller, until I met Richard. He was loving, compassionate, generous. He showed me what that could look like.”
“I loved that I could have an idea, put it on a surface and someone could say, ‘That’s beautiful,’” he said. “It made me feel like my ideas had value.”
Encouraged by teachers who recognized his talent, Terrance attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), then studied fine arts at Xavier University of Louisiana.
Still, becoming a full-time artist didn’t feel like a given. That shift came after Hurricane Katrina, when he stepped away from teaching and committed fully to his work — supported by his wife, Stephanie, whom he describes as his business partner, best friend and “the person who brought structure into my life.”
When I sat down with Terrance for our podcast interview, I wasn’t sure where to start.
“It’s always good,” he said. “If you don’t know where to start, the possibilities are endless. The natural way is to do what moves you — go with the energy.” That perspective carries directly into how he works.
“My meditation is action meditation,” he said. “I’m completely absorbed in the painting. I forget that I’m involved in anything else.”
He describes reaching what he calls, “the gap.” He said, “You stop thinking, and when you realize it, you’re already out of it. But the more you get there, the more that space opens up.”
The same work that brings pressure and deadlines is also what brings him into that state. Outside the studio, his routines support that balance.
“I’ve eaten pretty well most of my adult life,” he said. “I’ve got all these pictures on my phone of the salads Stephanie makes. They’re colorful, they’re beautiful — they look like my paintings.”
His approach to movement shifts with his schedule — sometimes structured workouts, other times simply getting outside, walking the neighborhood with his wife.
During more intense work periods, his focus narrows. “I make sure I’m hydrated,” he said. “I don’t eat a lot when I’m working. It slows me down.”
Sleep, he says, has become essential. “In my twenties, I could stay up all night and it didn’t matter. Now, sleep is everything. It affects my mood, and my mood affects my work.”
His version of a perfect day is simple: good sleep, morning light in the studio, music playing and the work in front of him. “When you’re creating from a good place, you feel it,” he said. “That’s what it’s about.”
For Osborne, that feeling isn’t accidental. It’s something he’s built — choice by choice — into both his life and his work. And in the heart of festival season, his work becomes part of that shared experience — meeting people exactly where he intended: in a place that feels good.
For a deeper look at Terrance Osborne’s perspective on creativity, balance and intentional living, listen to the full interview on the FUELED Wellness + Nutrition podcast — available now wherever you get your podcasts.
Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, is a registered dietitian with Ochsner Health and founder of Ochsner’s Eat Fit nonprofit initiative. For more wellness content, tune in to Molly’s podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, and follow @MollykimballRD and @EatFitOchsner on social media. Email nutrition@ochsner.org to connect with Molly or schedule a consult with her team.