“It’s simple; Art Heals. That’s been my entire purpose and mission.”

Magic of Human Connection By Sheila Darcey 

You don’t want to miss Sheila Darcey’s “A Portal For Healing,” from October sixth through the eighth at theART-Dept., the new, innovative gallery and event space in West Hollywood. Sheila Darcey is set to showcase an array of creative expressions, inclusing sketches, paintings (both digital and traditional), hand-painted objects, and fashion. These artistic treasures will be thoughtfully displayed across the three gallery floors of theART-Dept.

Along with Darcey’s artwork, participants will be able to fully immerse into the world of healing with modalities such as reiki, yoga, meditation, breathwork, sound baths, dance therapy, and other transformative practices. Additionally, the event will incorporate various elements of the Web3 technology landscape, visitors will have access to Darcey's  Heal Coin, which she refers to as her currency for healing.

Sheila Darcey, the visionary artist, author, and empath behind this event, will extend a warm welcome to sixteen distinguished wellness practitioners from The Healing Collective. Many of these practitioners are not only esteemed colleagues but also dear friends. Each of them possesses a unique proficiency in their wellness fields. Throughout the weekend, attendees can partake in a rich tapestry of activities, including insightful discussions on mental health, intergenerational trauma, menopause, and end-of-life matters. The schedule is brimming with engaging programming for everyone to enjoy. (Please refer to the full program below for more details).

“All three are important for where we are today,” says Darcey of this trifecta (art, tech, and wellness). “People often struggle with one of the three. I spent 20 years focusing on a successful corporate career as a business consultant and managing director for an innovation agency. I abandoned art for too long. It wasn’t until I addressed my mental health that I came back to art. Nobody told me that art could heal.”

At the heart of this activation lies a spiritual focal point—an interactive mural gracing both sides of theART-Dept.'s expansive 12 x 8' storefront window. Drawing from her seven-year daily practice known as "SketchPoetic," Darcey invites participants to join her in a unique creative endeavor.

Life is in Our Hand

Here's how it unfolds: Darcey will encourage participants to place their hands upon the window—a deliberate, intimate act that creates a transparent interface, serving as a conduit for mutual energy. From the inside, Darcey will outline these handprints using a marker. Subsequently, guests will have approximately ten minutes to engage with the artist in any manner they desire. This interaction can take the form of a conversation, a song, a poem, a dance, or even a moment of cathartic release.

In this collaborative exchange, Darcey will intuitively translate her perceptions and feelings into the handprint using her unique artistic language. Her sensuous, sinuous lines evoke the artistic styles of Cuban-American artist Emilio Perez, the iconic "Great Wave" by Hokusai, and the playful, lyrical hand of musician Brandon Boyd. The result will be a meta-figurative representation of this profound connection and pure, authentic expression. “The hand in Chinese medicine is the meridian of the body,” she says. “That’s why I use it as a container. Its depth and meaning moves beyond the outline. The goal is to have 100 hands by the end of the show, or 111 if you want to make it an angel number.”

Once finished, participants will then receive a digital copy of the entire final piece. “I used to be attached to the outcome,” Darcey says. “It’s not so much about the sketches, the mural, or the hand-painted fashion, it’s about the depth of the creative process. I’m tapping into my mind-body-spirit. This is visionary art. Not just my internal world, but also an expression of our collective consciousness.”

“There’s nothing happening on paper that isn’t happening in our life,” she adds. “When you invite people to go inward through art, they begin to pay attention to their bodies, they start to regulate their central nervous system, find their center and connect and explore their inner world. The moment you look up, your external world starts to reflect what you’ve cultivated internally. I want people to feel and experience this process for themselves.”

Darcey's conception of healing, as elaborated in her acclaimed book, "Sketch by Sketch: A Creative Path to Emotional Healing and Transformation" (A SketchPoetic Book), has resonated globally, with translations available in eight languages. Her approach centers around the act of surfacing subconscious and unconscious thoughts, bringing them into the conscious realm.

Art in Motion By Sheila Darcey

This profound and poetic perspective is what Darcey consistently shares with her devoted fans, friends, and followers across various social media platforms. Moreover, she applies these principles in her enduring consulting practice, enriching the lives of those seeking emotional growth and transformation.

 “What you do with that awareness is the work. Healing is the moment you give yourself permission to see the unseen. When you start to create while connected to a place of healing, when we’re not caught in fight, flight, or freeze, we start to observe and connect with the world again.”

 Sheila Darcey

THE HEALING COLLECTIVE - PROGRAM SCHEDULE

The following is a list of Healing Arts Practitioners & Guides who will be providing their services or workshops as part of the artist takeover.

FRIDAY, OCT. 6 (OPENING NIGHT)

Henri Hébert - Reiki Master & Dowsing Energy Practitioner & Teacher

6pm - 11pm | Reiki sessions 

http://renewyouretreat.com

IG: @inspiringyou.co

Christine Kwok- Reiki Master

6pm - 11pm | Reiki sessions 

http://renewyouretreat.com

IG: @chriskfit

SATURDAY, OCT. 7 

Geeta Novotny - Founder of Revolution Voice® - Sonic Healing Artist - Voice & Sound

12:30pm - 1:30pm | Vocal Immersion Sound Bath: “An intimate journey through healing sound”

www.geetanovotny.com

IG: @geetanovotny

Erika Lim - Occupational Therapist & End of Life Doula

1:30pm - 2:30pm | Workshop: “How to go out as light as we came in”

www.erikalim.com

IG: @erikavlim

Guesh Cuan - Intuitive Acupuncturist, Herbalist, Somatic Coach & Energy Worker

2:30pm - 3:30pm | Talk: "Nourishing Your Life Force - TCM approach to mental health”"

IG: @gueshc

Alcina Tran - Embodiment Coach & Recording Artist

3:30pm - 4:30pm | Workshop: “Healing Intergenerational Trauma to Awaken Your Inner Artist”

www.itsalcina.com

IG: @iamalcina

Alexa Fischer - Founder of Wishbeads® & Author of Wishwork

5pm - 6pm | Guided Visualization: “Awakening your wish”

www.wishbeads.com

IG: @wishbeads.official

Anita Mawji - Founder of HEALr WITHIN - Yoga Teacher & Reiki Healer

6:30pm - 7pm | Yoga: "Intentional movements exploring the sacred practice of yoga"

linktr.ee/healrwithin

IG: @anita_mawji

Tritia Medrano - Founder of Casa De Dharma - Somatic Activated Healer

7:30pm - 8:30pm | Somatic Activated Healing: “Come back to your body. Come home to your heart."

www.casadedharma.com

IG: @tritiamedrano

Joey Medrano - Founder of Casa De Dharma - Breathwork Instructor

9pm - 10pm | Breathwork: “Disconnect from your mind through breath.”

www.casadedharma.com

IG: @casa_de_dharma

SUNDAY, OCT. 8

Kiari Kirk - Choreographer & Teacher

12pm - 1pm | Dance: “Kiography- Feel good dancing for the mind, body, and spirit”

www.kiarilk.com/

IG: @kiarilk

Julie Jordan - Founder of Jade Temple Healing - Intuitive Acupuncture & Functional Nutrition

1:30pm - 2:30pm | Workshop: “How to protect and clear yourself energetically”

www.jadetemplehealing.com

IG: @jadetemplehealing

Falguni Lakhani Adams & Kruti Majmudar - Founders of Getting Hotter

3pm - 4pm | Talk about Menopause: “Getting Hotter - An Anecdotal Journey Through The Season of Change”

www.gettinghotter.com

IG: @producermama & @wandering_kru

Deborah Kagan - Founder of Rock Your Mojo® - Speaker | Author | Mojo Recovery Specialist

4:30pm - 5:30pm | Workshop: "Eros Rx: How to Activate Your Erotic Nature for Vibrant Well Being + Unshakable Confidence"

www.deborah-kagan.com

IG: @deborahkagan

Michelle Watkins - Founder of Urban Sanctuary - Shamanic & Sonic Healer

6pm - 7pm | Workshop: “Shamanic journey & sound healing”

www.urbansanctuaryllc.com

IG: @urbansanctuaryla

Joycie Weatherby - Founder of Native Apparatus  - Reiki and Crystalline Core Healing Practitioner. Student of Tea. Ceremonies and Experiences.

7:30pm - 8:30pm | Tea Ceremony - “Honoring the close of our program”

www.nativeapparatus.com

IG: nativeapparatus