The Art and Healing of 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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Creating Brave Retreat at 1440 Multiversity

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

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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Unity in Sharing Art: Amulets and Talismans

Sharing with you a closer look of my Kitchen Altar.

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

A Despacho Ceremony

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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Mindful Nature Mandalas: A Restorative Practice

Nature Mandala

Not familiar with Mindful Mandalas, read more about them here – Mindful Mandalas     Mindful Nature Mandalas Whether you create mindful nature mandalas by yourself or within community, it is a restorative practice.  With nature as our guide, we step into a quiet, nurturing world where time moves at a different pace.  By slowing…

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Mindful Mandalas: A Self-Paced eCourse

Mindful Mandalas

  Mindful Mandalas: an Eight week Self-Paced eCourse is a visual drawing practice that calms and anchors you into quiet stillness. Who doesn’t need a little bit of that? By getting lost in the process of mindful mandala-making, your stress and worries melt away. We use very simple materials. All you need is some quiet time…

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Creating Brave eCourses: Survivorship

Mindful Survivorship Mandalas

  Survivorship: to endure to live through to live beyond in spite of a danger, adversity or hardship Frankly, haven’t we all dealt with survivorship in some form or another? Although the word is usually associated with cancer survivorship issues, the residue from a life altering event can cling to us, becoming chronic if not addressed. Underlying issues…

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Amulets and Talismans: Mindful Healing

Amulets and Talismans Created our of all sorts of things. Offerings to the soul.

Four Simple Words Amulets and Talismans:  Lucky charms, protective totems – tangible symbols that focus our thoughts on a specific idea or intention Mindful: focused attention on the present moment Healing: to restore, to make whole   The creation of amulets and talismans has the power to lead us into a mindful approach to healing. Amulets and talismans…

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Art as Healing vs. Art Therapy

In dialog with what is being created, having no expectations, letting the process lead...

Art: something that is created with imagination that expresses important ideas or feelings Healing: to restore and make whole again Therapy: the treatment of physical or mental illnesses Art as Healing: My Way Most times when I explain what I do, I am met with the response, “Oh. You do art therapy.” I reply no, not…

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College Interns & Volunteers: Paved the Way for 2016

Our Wonderful, creative Volunteer, Charlotte Johnson

I don’t know what I’d do without our college interns and volunteers.   Last year, we had 3 extraordinary young women dedicate their talents and energy to our cause. Due to their remarkable efforts throughout 2015, Healing Icons became more visible.  The ground has been set, ready to receive our goal for 2016 – the launch of our…

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