ABOUT US
ANDREA & JAMES
Andrea
When I was little, adults used to ask me 'what will I be when I grow up'. And I used to answer rather annoyed -as everyone knew that I spent most of my time drawing and painting- that I will be a person of art (a.k.a. artist). They pulled up their eyebrows and looked away while their face was in a sympathy grim. This was more of the projection of their own mistrust in the artist within.
So, the road in recognizing and actualizing my artist within came with a lot of sacrifices and prioritization and still unfolding. By learning to listen to my own inner voice and transforming all my experiences to a human existence which is filled with artistry has been and is an enriching and trialling path.
Line of Education: a BA in Forensic Psychology at John Jay College (N.Y.,USA), a PGC in Applied Cognitive Neuroscience at Westminster University (London,UK) and Transpersonal Artistic Counsellor Certificate from Tobias School of Art and Therapy (Sussex, UK) and learning about Lianne Collot D'Herbois' Light, Colour and Darkness artistic therapy at Emerald Foundation (The Hague, Netherlands) and MA in Special Education, Transformational Learning in Practical Skills (Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway). During my MA dissertation (short title: The 7 Fold Process - Colour Indigo) I have landed with a significant understanding for aesthetic experience (John Dewey) and freedom of will (Rudolf Steiner) for process and transformation.
Our life now is focused on living the change we want to see in the world. I am learning about healing diets, herb medicine, permaculture and biodynamic gardening and soil preparation.
James
Having been born in California brought a lot of great sun-filled memories to my childhood along with several traumas which I have been holding in a black box in my memory. It deeply effected me growing up in such environment and spent most of my life in denial focusing on pushing forward into the future thinking that if I don't ponder on it, surely it will dissipate.
Spending 29 years in the army as a rescue and jet pilot had given me the structure I longed within. My unruly teenage and most of my adult life is a testament to self-fragmentation and a constant refuge-seeking from the black box which seemed to grow bigger and bigger with time.
I dragged a guitar throughout the war zones and it became my salvage. When I left the US Army the black box burst open and I swirled with the vortex of my past. It was utter chaos and I have been sweeping the streets of my soul and my physical surroundings since I found a combination of ways to make sense of it all. I am passionate about speaking against War for Profit and I am a member of the Veterans for Peace and Veterans of Foreign Wars organisations.
In July 2018, I moved in with Andrea into a small and basic wooden cabin in England and started a journey of water-fasting, intermittent fasting, diet change, basic yoga exercises, walks in the woodland and slowing down. Being coffee, alcohol, smoke and prescription-drug free allowed me to focus and prioritise.
Music, creativity and clarity helps me to deal with and work through my PTSD day-to-day challenges. I endeavour to live an authentic life according to my needs and abilities, and hope to inspire or even help some small-ways others in processing trauma and PTSD.
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