Today we’d like to introduce you to Kalichi Lamar.
Hi Kalichi, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
From a young age, I have always been a creative soul with a connection to nature that is uniquely tied to my name Kalichi, which is Taino-Indigenous for “fountain of the high mountain.” I was born in Borikén (Puerto Rico), where the beginnings of my childhood were surrounded by mountains, and having a deep affinity for the ocean. These aspects shaped what would be my future of art infused with healing.
Creativity helped me cope with life challenges during my teens and early adulthood. This included my father’s passing from Pancreatic cancer, my grandmother’s dementia diagnosis, being a caregiver, and facing my own health matters. Each experience was a catalyst to growing as an artist and being deeply inspired to help others heal through creativity.
This motivated me to make a career change and pursue graduate studies where I earned an M.S. and M.A. degree in Psychology and Arts in Medicine (also known as Arts for Health/Wellness). During my studies and after graduation, opportunities opened to provide Arts for Health for cancer patients, the elderly, and patients with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and movement disorders. When the pandemic arrived, I took advantage of the time I had to cultivate my pyrography craft and open an online shop.
Additionally, I participated in virtual arts for health sessions with a cancer center, which motivated me to organize my own creative wellness sessions within my community. I offered sessions to the overall public and specialized sessions dedicated to BIPOC communities. Moreover, I hosted creative wellness sessions with a local business, as well as a university organization.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Going down this road was not easy because it involved experiencing moments of trauma. However, I had an inner will and drive to alchemize my pain into creative expression. Something as simple as sketching, coloring, writing my thoughts in poetry, and taking photos of nature brought me peace.
These two quotes best describe my experience with expression.
“Art is the voice that tells us there’s something beyond the pain.” – J. Iron Word
“At its essence, art is an alchemical process. Alchemy is a process of transformation.” – Julia Cameron
Through these experiences, I was able to acknowledge the caregiver and healing spirit I held within. This allowed me to pour into others, resulting in one of the most rewarding paths I’ve ever taken.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an artist and art healer. As an artist, my work is a representation of repurposing and alchemizing nature – a connection to roots. Much of my work honors my Indigenous Borikén roots and my love of nature. My community knows me for the woodwork that I create through woodburning, also known as pyrography.
Occasionally, I will engrave, or laser cut when I am creating a specialized piece. Through my work, I want to inspire others to examine their own relationship to the earth and cultivate ways to connect with their own roots, nature, and spirit. As a healing arts practitioner, I provide sessions that combine creativity and nature into a symbiotic relationship that promotes self-reflection, expression, mindfulness, and flow.
Creative expression is engaged through the lens of Indigenous community healing and honoring the entire person – mind, body, spirit, and its connection to land and community. I am currently working on a separate site for these offerings, and they will be available soon to the public. Please stay tuned!
As I look back on my career, I can say I reached a place in my life where I am able to infuse art and nature to inspire healing. I experienced the embodiment of these aspects in my own journeys into the wilderness. Being able to share this with others is what I am most proud of.
What do you think about happiness?
My happiness is my family, community, nature, creativity, and being outdoors. I am happy when I see my family healthy, and at peace, and when they achieve the goals they strive for. I am happy when I see my community working together to expand consciousness and growth for future generations.
I am happy when I am in a creative, flow state and my ideas come to life. I am happy when I am in nature. I enjoy paddleboarding in the ocean, tending my plants, and taking quiet walks by the water. I am happy in the mountains and forests, where I can disconnect to reconnect. Everything above brings me joy, peace, and healing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kolibriembers.com
- Instagram: @kolibriembers
- Other: https://linktr.ee/kolibri.embers
