Healing Earth Pigments

Art as a Healing Practice

I believe art is a healing practice, and I see earth pigments as a door to understanding how we can be in symbiotic relationship with nature and each other. And that shift in consciousness in each person has a ripple effect that can benefit all.

The disconnect from our innate creativity, intuition and connection with the Earth is reverting us to the hungry ghosts within us; base impulses with desires that will never be satisfied.

And that coming home to our creativity, reciprocal relationship with nature and clearer connection with our Soul and inner Source has the opposite effect: it makes us more content, respectful and abundant within; more generous and reciprocal. We become less greedy, we become more clear and aligned in our inner and outer relationships.

For the human belief in scarcity is what’s driving greed in our currently unsustainable world. Nature is inherently prosperous and regenerative when Her cycles are honoured.

I believe we cannot change the macro if we haven’t practiced changing the micro. And that means being inclusive with all parts within us, including our shadows, and learning to love and hold grace for both our brokenness and infinite essence.

I believe and have seen that as humans, we are multidimensional beings. And, more than just connecting through our external markers, we have connections with each other, based on the melody inside people, and the resonance between us.

Healing Earth Pigments

I see earth pigments first as teachers. In my experience, they provide a door to understanding how we can be in more symbiosis with nature and all of life. To learn to give back and appreciate when receiving the Earth’s gifts.

As a healer, I’ve experienced earth pigments as mentors in grounding and reconnecting with the core of the Earth and the minerals in our bodies. Especially for empaths, intuitives and creatives who struggle with this, and those who have been displaced or severed. We don’t just inherently belong in nature, but our bodies ARE also, nature. Our human selves are not just linear and fast-changing like our logical minds, but our animal body moves slowly and in cycles like all of nature too. 

I’ve found they’re teachers of steadiness, stability, embodiment and alchemy: the ability to transmute from one form to another. They also teach about the duality of the Earth plane, how the Earth plane contains both shadows and light, and that these contrasts are necessary to create form-based life. Historically too, they’ve been our allies in our collective evolution, grounding the creativity of our Spirit back to our reality here on Earth.

They also taught me about the importance of clear agreements and honouring healthy boundaries. This inherent steadiness in them aligns with archetypal energies of warriorship, interconnectedness and sovereignty. And that, those with long, intergenerational relationship with the land have wisdom that now needs to be valued, heard and upheld, because as humanity, collectively, we have a deficit when it comes to the natural laws of nature; when it comes to taking resources from the Earth without giving enough back. We have much to learn from those who remained indigenous. Only 6% of the world’s indigenous, yet they protect 80% of our world’s wild places. 

Te Tiriti o Waitangi – Through the teachings of earth pigments, I learned the importance of clear agreements and honouring boundaries for individual and collective harmony, which led me to the journey of learning deeper about Te Tiriti, as Tauiwi of colour, who have indigenous ancestors (Tagalog and Ibanag) but through the legacy of colonisation of our motherland is no longer one, with a mixed whakapapa (Spanish and Chinese), and is now an immigrant on colonised land. This journey of learning is still ongoing and evolving.

For other Tauiwi of colour, here are great resources:
Exploring Te Tiriti Journey Race you There Tina Ngata

I also believe, beyond our external markers, we have connections with each other, based on the melody inside beings, and the resonance between us. I believe we are all internally guided by an aspect of our being that has a larger perspective on our human lives, and this aspect of us is interconnected with all of Life. We are all both Celestial and Terrestial, and we all resonate in a way that’s appropriate for each one of us.

Pigments from Te Henga, not foraged.
All red earth I use are from Veneto, Italy, from my travels there in 2019. Out of respect for Tangata Whenua, I don’t use vibrant red earth from Aotearoa New Zealand, which is culturally important for our indigenous people.

Earth pigments, 
acknowledging threads

My practice with earth pigments is a conduit for healing. As I’ve grown, I’ve learned the importance of honouring boundaries, exchanges and agreements not just in nature but with each other, as well as the importance of our interconnected relationships with nature.

Dreams of Source acknowledges Ngāti Whātua and Te Kawerau a Maki, Mana Whenua of central and west Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), the city I’ve been blessed to live and work in. I also give great thanks to my Filipino pamilya, and honour all teachers past, present and emerging.

In this practice, I’ve learned to listen to the land, honouring the sacredness of rock and soil beings by asking permission before foraging – honouring a no and gratitude for a yes, and giving back healing energy, prayer or gratitude, completing the cycle of energy exchange. Only taking a small amount less the size of my palm, avoiding places that are wāhi tapu, and only foraging on public tracks opened with the blessing of mana whenua.

Historically, European, The US and Japanese empires were in my motherland, the Philippines, for more than 400 years. During that time, a lot of our natural and human resources have been extracted. These days, I paint with European and Japanese pigments, as a way to harmonise these energy exchanges, while also holding the paradox and harmony, that I also love these places I've been.

These sourced pigments are also "waste" material from the construction industry. Only 1% of iron earth mined in the world go to artist's pigments, 98% go to the making of steel. Art & healing breathes new life to displaced earth.

In the spirit of healing in my earth-based practice, 5% of art sales are contributed to Community Waitakere in Aotearoa New Zealand, alternating with The Haribon Foundation, in the Philippines. My hope is that my thriving connects to the thriving of others.