Living Legacies

By Heidi Darr-Hope

We are basing Living Legacies on that old fashioned concept, linking cancer survivors from different cities, states and countries. We are using visual arts and creative writing to begin an extraordinary conversation about what it is like to live with cancer.

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The Art and Healing of Heidi Darr-Hope

By Heidi Darr-Hope

Art and Healing.  Powerful passionate works for me.  I’ve been teaching art and healing for over 20 years.  I’ve been making art for over 40.  But not until this year, did I personally feel the terror associated with a serious health scare.  2017 was a tough year, but I was able to forge a deeper relationship…

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1440: Stunning New Retreat Center. Join us for Creating Brave

Creating Brave Retreat at 1440 Multiversity

By Heidi Darr-Hope

I am thrilled to be offering this Creating Brave Retreat  at 1440 Multiversity, a stunning new center nestled in a magnificent forest of of redwoods just outside Santa Cruz, California.  This campus is carefully crafted to nurture, educate and inspire! Bring 2017 to a Close by Gifting Yourself Time Step Outside Your Life Pause to…

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Ongoing Mindful Creativity Mandala

Starting a Mindful Creativity Practice

By Heidi Darr-Hope

Developing a Mindful Creativity Practice assists us in navigating through the uncharted territories of life. When life presents us with unexpected twists and turns, many times we get knocked off our center.  Having access to restorative resources keeps us afloat and helps us find our way home. Mindful creativity is one of those avenues, allowing us…

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Sharing with you a closer look of my Kitchen Altar.

Unity in Sharing Art: Amulets and Talismans

By Heidi Darr-Hope

Sharing Art – A Courageous Act   Sharing art is a act of trust. It is an act of bravery. Because our creations are tender, innocent newborns, they need protection and nurturing care. Thus, it is anxiety-producing to place our creations in the spotlight for other eyes to see. Yet by sharing our creations in a safe…

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despacho ceremony: sacred creations

Harvest Despacho Giveaway Contest

By Heidi Darr-Hope

What is a harvest despacho? Despacho is an Andean amulet-making ceremony, in which the despacho-maker brings various elements into an object and then ritually sends it off. They are traditionally made by Andean shamans for a variety of (often transitional) occasions, from birth rituals to rituals honoring the dead. In a sense, a harvest despacho…

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A Despacho Ceremony

Despacho Ceremony: Sacred Creations

By Heidi Darr-Hope

A despacho ceremony is an ancient indigenous ritual of the Andean people of Peru. Despacho literally means to ship or dispatch something.  Creating a despacho is an intentional, focused sacred ceremony in which an amulet-like bundle is filled with natural, biodegradable ingredients. These ingredients hold symbolic elements that represent the prayerful intentions of the despacho-maker.…

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October’s Nature Mandala Giveaway Winner

By Heidi Darr-Hope

  Congratulations to Twitter follower @LoveSoulShine from California for winning our Nature Mandala Giveaway competition! Her beautiful floral mandala (pictured left) was inspired by the belief that “Love is what connects us all.” This is a wonderful, important concept, and we couldn’t agree more. She will receive a set of Derwent colored pencils as her prize.…

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Honoring Death: Dia de los Muertos

By Heidi Darr-Hope

Pondering death teaches me about living.  I have learned that to honor life, I must also honor death.  But recognizing that death is a natural part of the process of living is not something most of us want to face.  It is hard to come to terms with the idea that death isn’t something to…

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Creating Brave’s Nature Mandala Giveaway Contest

By Heidi Darr-Hope

What is a Nature Mandala? Mandala, the Sanskrit word for circle, is a universal symbol of balance, wholeness and unity. Healing Icons, and our upcoming eCourse hub Creating Brave, uses them to quiet the constant buzz of our busy lives and distill our focus to the present moment so that each moment is fully lived.…

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