Welcome in to this special space called Meraki!
The word Meraki (μεράκι) comes from a modern greek word, used to describe the the passion for craftsmanship and the way of doing something with love and dedication.
It can be connected to any activity that implies the act of creation, such as singing, writing, dancing, playing music, painting but it can be applied to any task at all.
Meraki means putting your soul into something, focusing on the present moment by abandoning any expectations.
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By bringing your attention into the process, Meraki makes you connect to your innate creativity, invisible desires and intuition which we believe are one of the most powerful human resources.
Meraki’s mission is to spread knowledge in how to use art and mindfulness as tools for self-expression.
Mindful painting is the practice of freeing our creativity through art making and an opportunity to explore our inner self in a friendly, supportive, non-judgemental environment. Each time we take a stroke on the paper, we open ourselves to new paths and unknown outcomes. This approach to painting uses elements such as shape, line, color and composition to create its own reality. It consists in reproducing in an individual way visible subjects, memories, feelings or surroundings without necessarily portraying them realistically.
Mindfulness acts as a bridge to deeply connect with our body and mind.
Through observation, journaling, breathwork, meditation and movement it helps us focus on connecting with the present moment and bring our attention inward. These experiences invite us to prioritize the wisdom and energy of our bodies, rather than controlling everything from the mind. There is no right or wrong way to practice mindfulness, you can put some background music, you can get to move or you can walk and listen to your footsteps. It is about creating ourselves the right environment in which our mental state is fully present and immersed because it is from that place that we can be able to access our truest creative potential.
You don’t need any previous experience to practice Mindfulness and Art, but an open heart and sense of curiosity.
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We are a collective of creatives, artists and facilitators
Meraki Community came to life by fusing our multidisciplinary professional backgrounds and passions, which include design, art, architecture, yoga, meditation and mindfulness. Our experiences intertwine different practices. Our multidisciplinary approach is our strength.
We want to dispel Creativity as a talent few were born with. We believe that there is not such a thing, as we all can learn how to connect with our Creative-self. Equally Art involves a very wide range of human practices where anyone can find their own way to self-express and be creative.
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Beatrice Nespega
Community Leader and Co-creator
creativity coach, art facilitator, artist and designer
London, UK
I am Bea, a creative coach, art facilitator, artist, designer and the leader of this community project co-created with Giuliana and Anna.
I am an I am also trained as an architect and currently dedicating part of my creativity into my job as a lighting designer for architecture, art shows and cultural environments.
Creativity, Lighting, Mindfulness, Art and Design thinking are my main disciplines through which I investigate visual perception and human psychology.
By fusing these wide range of themes my main focus is to guide you to access your creative voice and discover a new way to deepen the connection with yourself and your art making. In our community and sessions I will share the tools for you to create paintings that you can truly connect with and love. You will learn how to make art a new way to look inward.
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Giuliana Pirozzi
Co-creator
yoga teacher and mindfulness facilitator
London, UK
I am Giuliana, a certified yoga and mindfulness teacher​.
My teaching style is a well balanced mix of dynamic yoga poses from the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, guided meditations and breath control practices. In every session my focus is to create a safe, non-judgemental, nurturing environment where yogis of all levels can learn how to grow their own personal practice of yoga and mindfulness.​ Alongside my studies in yoga philosophy and anatomy​, ​I​ am exploring how to combine my interest for art with the​ meditation​ practice ​as a tool to reconnect with our mental and physical wellbeing​. By exploring breath and movement my aim is to stimulate focus, connect with intuition by bringing you on a journey of self exploration and access to your inner creative power.
Anna Tabellini
Co-creator
abstract artist and architect
Milan, Italy and Tel Aviv, Israel
I am Anna. I have been exploring the field or abstract painting since several years, while working professionally as an architect.
By combining my experience from architecture and abstract painting, I use textures, colours and compositions as tools to investigate the identity of places that surround me and the traces that such places leave on myself. I see stories traced on buildings skin, stones or details, and feel the urge to translate them into marks and brush strokes. Watercolours, acrylics and mural paintings have been the main focus of my artworks.
The collaboration with Meraki was born from the best friendship I could dream of: built on mutual support and constant inspiration, lots of laughter and curiosity to explore new paths together. Especially this crave for mutual inspiration made Meraki alive, as a way of sharing what we love to do the most.
Our philosophy
For us creativity means embracing the unknown, letting our spontaneous intuition guide our choices and acts.
This fundamental human resource, like a waterfall, runs free and full of endless possibilities inside of us,
often forgotten. We believe that Art and Mindfulness are powerful tools to reconnect to our Creativity and therefore bring meaningful social change by focusing on therapeutic and personal development.
Stimulating the mind through a creative activity can also help to gain confidence, build a sense of purpose and perhaps discover a lifelong interest.
We are always interested in collaborating with creative professionals, artists and facilitators.
Get in touch if you are interested to take part of our Community project or you would like to experience Meraki!