Music

Interview With Satya Healing at Ramone’s

/ N.Pearson / 1 Comment

On November twentieth, around nine in the morning, Natascha and her family friend, Sam P, met with Satya at Ramone’s Bakery and Coffee in Eureka. Their conversation became a deep dive into Satya’s history in the healing arts and the many ways she serves the community as a facilitator of sound baths, microdose offerings, yoga, reiki, and tuning fork sessions. Satya has brought peace of mind to many by offering a safe space to release, recover, nurture, and learn how to move through life’s challenges with greater ease.

As we enter the winter season, we invite you to explore the power of sound healing and discover how giving this practice a chance can enhance your life in the most positive way.

Natascha: Good morning Satya. Thank you so much for joining me today. At Little Lost Forest we’re always honored to highlight local healers, artists and visionaries. And today we’re in for a special treat. Humboldt County sound healing artist Satya Earth, founder of Satya Healing, is here to share her journey, her craft and the heart centered intention behind her work. I first discovered Satya during one of her sound healings and mushroom microdose sits. Over the course of about 90 minutes, a small mushroom microdose, gentle yoga and closed eyes opened the door to a vivid inner landscape. The soundscape she and her collaborators created carried me from the depths of the ocean to a fairy lantern forest, and eventually into the far reaches of space. The magic she facilitates comes not only from the instruments she uses, but from a deep well of knowledge, intuition, and care. Today we dive into that magic, its origins, its purpose, and the person behind it. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

Satya:Thank you for having me here. It’s really great to see you. A little bit about myself. I’m a mama of two little ones.  They are my whole world and have been a driving force for my evolution in the landscape of sound healing, energy work and working with medicine. My background comes from psychology. I majored in psychology and got my bachelor’s in 2014, and from there I decided to branch out and study different forms of holistic healing. I studied yoga and herbalism, energy work, and sound healing, and have now branched out into the realm of working with psilocybin. 

Natascha: Yay! Thank you for sharing. When did your journey with sound healing begin? 

Satya: I attended my first sound bath with Jen Madrone back in 2017, and that was an initiation into the world of sound healing and experiencing. Noticing where I was in my life at that time.  

Sound healing can stir up a lot of things for us, especially if we’re just beginning the journey. Throughout the years, I’ve gathered tools to support integrating the experiences and emotions that arise when receiving sound healing. This has helped to make it easier to understand and navigate the things that come up. It can really bring up a lot of stuff. Like old stories and thought patterns. Bringing them forward to be acknowledged and felt. It was a beautiful introduction to getting to know myself. The stories that I hold and how to how to work with them and how to transform them. In 2021 was when I bought my first gong and that was inspired through the birth of my second daughter. I had a very challenging experience with postpartum depression. In a place of desperation to not return to pharmaceuticals, I searched online things that could help my nervous system and help with depression and anxiety. Sound healing was the first thing that popped up. I was reminded of my experiences with Jen and decided to take the leap to purchase my first gong. 

Natascha: That’s beautiful. I really love how you worked against the postpartum and found natural ways to heal instead of falling into it. Did you have any mentors or influential teachers along the way? 

Satya: Absolutely. My number one mentor, her name is Josie Bravo. I met her when I was when I was in a hospital. I had a really hard adolescence; childhood. She met me at some of the hardest times in my life. I’ve known her for 29 years now. She has been a guiding light and I wouldn’t be where I am today without her support. 

Natascha: Wow. 

Satya: She’s been a really big influence. Like a guardian angel for me along this path. My other mentors are Jen Madrone. She’s an incredible being, here in Humboldt County. I’ve studied Reiki II and my Master Reiki course with her. A couple other influential teachers are Eileen McKusick. She’s the woman that discovered tuning the human biofield. I love blending my own interpretation of her teachings into my sessions.  I scan the field with a tuning fork and listen for different sounds and that resonate from the tuning forks to let me know where there is perhaps some stuck energy that can be brought into coherent energy. Another incredible teacher that I haven’t had the opportunity to learn from yet, but I’ve heard great things of his name is Mike Tamburo and he will be here in Humboldt County in March 2026.  

Natascha: What will Mike be teaching you or working with you? 

Satya: He’s a gong master. He’ll be doing three day long class for a few days. And we’ll be learning different techniques and styles of how to work with sacred healing instruments, mainly gongs. 

Natascha: During your sessions, there’s usually other people in the room that are playing the instruments along with you or offering the mushroom micro-doses. Who do you choose to collaborate with for your sound healing sessions? 

Satya: I just collaborated with Fallon Orr. We had a beautiful offering where we offered microdosing, yoga nidra and sound healing. It was a different space from the class that that you attended. More stillness and opportunity to reflect in that stillness. It was very supportive for rest. 

I just received my certification as a psychedelic facilitator through Emerald Valley Institute. After sharing medicine in the community for nearly 4 years, I decided I wanted to learn more about the history, culture and varying approaches to holding ceremony in psychedelic spaces. Another person I have worked with is Michiah Tobin. She’s an acupuncturist based out of Fortuna. I love blending multiple modalities together for a transformative intentional experience.

Natascha: Well thank you. How do these sounds and frequencies impact your participants? 

Satya: That’s a great question. Each person and how they experience sound is very unique. And each session is very unique. Some of the things that I have noticed participants experience would be emotional clearing and release. I’ve heard some really good feedback on how people will come into a session feeling highly stressed and overwhelmed with life and would leave with a new state of grounded clarity. The beautiful thing about sound healing is that it creates neural plasticity and neurogenesis. By approaching your session with an intention this offers us an opportunity to see, feel and think differently about the things that we’re experiencing in life. And like you said, when we’re in this space there are visuals, there’s feelings of floating. It can be a psychedelic experience without the medicine, with the things that we see and that we feel. It offers a place of deep rest for the nervous system. 

Natascha: Absolutely. I definitely found a release for my anxiety when I go to your sound healings and I feel really well going back into the world, more prepared. Your vocal work is especially moving where you learn to sing? What language or tradition are you drawing from? 

Satya: I’ve been singing since I was three. Song has been a part of my whole life. I was in choir for eight years, and I was in a band for a couple years. Interestingly, I always felt nervous. And to this day, I still feel some nerves before I sing. But, after I traveled to India back in 2014, I was studying yoga there and we learned a lot of mantras and Sanskrit prayers. It is in this place of prayer that the anxiety dissolves and my intention of sharing song expands. I sing in Sanskrit, and the songs that you’ve probably heard are called the beginning prayer, the ending prayer and the Anahata prayer.

Our voices are our most powerful instrument, and it’s my mission to continue sharing this instrument, along with these other instruments and empowering other people to come into a place of comfort in their own body and their voice. I encourage people when I’m singing, when the sounds are going; we can hum, we can sing too, and start to vocalize because that’s how we can move energy throughout our body. 

Natascha: Yeah, that’s some of my favorite moments. I really enjoy your singing, and I like that you pushed me to sing and your participants to sing, because oftentimes I don’t use my voice. It does resonate with me, and it does bring something positive out. So thank you for doing that. What dreams and aspirations do you have for such a healing moving forward? 

Satya: I love this question. 

Natascha: What’s next? 

Satya: Yes I am so excited about what’s next. 

I am creating some packages to make these experiences more accessible. After going through my psychedelic facilitator training, I really want to work with marginalized communities. Whether that means I look into what it would be to become a nonprofit or I look into fiscal sponsorship. I really believe that this type of medicine is something that everybody needs. 

Natascha: Cool. I can’t wait to see where you go with it. Was there anyone who inspired the evolution of your art or an event? Possibly. 

Satya: Absolutely. I had some moments to reflect on this, and the evolution of my art truthfully, has come from a place of pain and suffering and knowing that these wounds can be transformed. And I’m speaking from a mother wound that without that experience and without those wounds, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. Having a troubled relationship inspired me to ask: how can I best show up for myself and how can I best show up for my children and for my community? How can I create this space of safety and trust within myself and within my community?

I’ve been learning different communication styles, like compassionate communication, paraphrasing and reflecting. These are all practices that I’m in a space of learning right now and eager to implement into how I parent my children and how I speak to myself, how I speak to my community and to my clients, and I’m really encouraging all of us to become more curious about how are we communicating with ourselves? How are we communicating with our loved ones? Because this is where we can we can really come together and come together in a space of safety and trust. 

Natascha: I think you’re really advocating for people that are struggling, that there’s a light on the end of the tunnel. As a mother, too, there’s a lot of stress in motherhood and seeing you blossom and bloom that shows that we don’t have to be the pain of our families, but that we could create our own positive walk of life and the way that you impact your community. It loudly speaks that you walk the walk that you’re not just talk. So thank you for doing all the all the work you do with us here in Humboldt. What are your thoughts on human consciousness? 

Satya: Another fabulous question, Natascha. My thoughts on human consciousness; human consciousness to me, is a state of being. I come from a spiritual and perhaps Buddhist approach where I believe that all living sentient beings from our animals to the trees to the rocks, to the dirt, to the insects. We all have a consciousness. We are all here coexisting as one on this cell of Earth. And when we can come into that place of connection, we can really start to come together in this collective ecosystem. 

Satya Sound Baths

Natascha: That’s beautiful. How does that deconstruct the ego when you come into a mindset of a universal consciousness? 

Satya: Mmm, yeah. We’re definitely deconstructing the ego and perhaps deconstructing the hierarchy of humans being at the top and everything else being below us. I know that there is definitely some advancement in technology where we are now having the opportunity to communicate with our animal friends. And it is deconstructing how we view our existence and how we view the existence of other beings in this world. It’s really powerful. We can come into this from a wholehearted space, or we can, you know, use it for power. So it’s really up to the individual and how we approach this type of technology. Language is technology too. You know, it’s like these things are always advancing. And so it’s like, who is behind this and what are our intentions behind it? And it’s how we show up and how we reflect that into our circles and into our community. And that’s when we really have that opportunity again, to come together into this collective space of awareness, which is kind of linking to that state of consciousness, the consciousness and the awareness, how we show up, how we reflect, how we have awareness of our energy and how we impact the environment around us. I feel like I could go on forever. 

Natascha: I love this, I just want to dig a little deeper into it. You mentioned animals briefly. Is there a connection between your sound healing and nature? Maybe you play your music outside, or you feel a deeper connection to the earth and to the animals when you perform sound healing? 

Satya: Absolutely. I have a very deep connection with the elements and with nature. When I take my gong out and I play next to that maple tree and Cheatham Grove, I’m playing for that tree and I’m playing for the land. And I just imagine this time lapse of this tree living there and all the things that have surrounded it. And for me, I just, I want to be with that tree for that moment and play the sounds. And when I play my infinity disc, that sounds like the ocean, I’m like, man, this tree won’t ever have that opportunity to be by the ocean. So maybe I could bring the ocean to the tree. 

Natascha: Cool and lastly, what are your beliefs or reflections on the afterlife? 

Satya: Reflections on the afterlife. I do believe that we are reincarnated. I do believe in karma. I believe that the things that we’re experiencing in this life are perhaps a reflection of the life we’ve led before. I also go between this, you know, when we die, we go into the void. We go into emptiness. No one knows. And we have access to so much information that we can decide what we want to believe. But we truly just don’t ever know. So when I think about what the afterlife is, I like to consider a lot of things. But I also don’t have a concrete belief because nobody truly knows. 

Natascha: Absolutely.Do you have any advice for someone that might be depressed, anxious, or struggling in their life? How to get out of that negative spiral? 

Satya: Well, there are many approaches to helping ourselves through these stagnant, dark places. The first approach that I like to suggest is, depending on the severity of it, is having a counselor or a therapist. Somebody to offer an objective perspective, somebody who will support us in our stories that we share and perhaps guide us into healthier states of thinking. Also bringing in the element of what are we putting in and on our body. And that’s not just food, that’s not just cosmetics. That includes the things that we watch, that includes the people that we surround ourselves with. That includes supplements that we’re taking. So it’s really a whole approach when we start getting into this world of depression and anxiety. I mean, we can look at our gut microbiome that’s definitely linked to anxiety. Parasites are linked to anxiety. And then when we start to go in a little bit deeper outside of the the physical being of depression and anxiety, we can start to go into like the emotional body and the ethereal body, and that’s where we can bring in these alternative modalities to help us. That could be energy work, that could be sound healing and microdosing. But then again, drawing it back into the self, it’s really about our perspective, how we speak to ourself. So again, coming into that tug of war that we experience when we’re going into this place of depression and anxiety: The stories that we tell ourselves, how we talk to ourselves. And a lot of this is linked to how we were raised and how we were talked to and how we were taught to manage these things. 

Satya: In my psychedelic facilitator training,  we learned about this thing called the default mode network. And when we’re born, up until we’re about four, this network in our mind is very malleable. But around the age four, we are now learning to exist in the world through the way that we are talked to by our family members and the authority around us. And those pathways start to get very rigid. And so then we start existing in that story. So when we are working with psilocybin in larger doses, we have the opportunity to do what is called a reset dose, where the default mode network gets shut down. And this is where we have access to new pathways, new ways of thinking and feeling existing, perceiving and we want to be slow with this. Whenever we’re in this place of depression and anxiety, how long did it take us to get here? How long have we been in that place? And just know that there’s no one pill. There’s no one experience that’s going to shift things. This is a practice that we have to implement and be dedicated to daily. The most important facet of that is who are we surrounding ourselves with? Who is our support system, our community, the classes we attend, the people we talk to. These are all factors to consider when we’re starting to address these symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

Natascha: Coming into the winter, is there are certain practices that you do seasonally; more winter style forms of healing? 

Satya: When we come into the winter. I personally think about darkness. I think about going into a place of hibernation. I think about what is nature doing? And I do my best as a single mother, to slow down. Some practices that we can do is look at how we can slow down. How we can create spaciousness and just noticing when we are overdoing. When we are doing too much and just taking a moment to step back, reflect and say “hey, I need to cancel.” 

Satya: One practice that I learned recently that’s been so helpful, is tuning into our breath and tuning into what it means to clear our energetic field. When we are starting to experience that tightness in the body, or we notice we’re getting really overwhelmed and feeling frantic. Come back into the breath. Breathe through the souls at the feet.

Satya: And as we’re exhaling, we’re releasing this energy out through the crown of the head. And this is the cycle. Breathing in through the feet, coming through the center of the body, breathing out through the crown. And as we continue this breath, we’re starting to think about, I’m breathing in calm and I am letting go of any tension. I’m letting go of any chaos that I’m holding in my belly, that I’m holding in my heart. I’m holding in my brain. I’m letting that go. I’m returning it to sender. I’m returning it to the universe. And I love this practice, especially for people who are highly sensitive or for highly empathic people. People who tend to absorb energies easily. This is an amazing breath practice, because then we get to tune into not only our breath and clearing our fields, but we’re starting to acknowledge what is mine and what is not mine. What am I holding on to? Maybe I’m holding on to something that I experienced yesterday, and now it’s time to let that go. And it’s time to bring in that clearing and that self-forgiveness, so that we can have a clear field and show up for our friends and our family in a more balanced state. 

Natascha: As we move into the winter, sound healing offers a powerful way to calm the nervous system, reconnect with the heart, and bring clarity to the mind. Satya, thank you so much for your time and for sharing your wisdom with our Little Lost Forest community. 

Satya: Thank you so much. I appreciate you. Thank you for calling me in and sharing these moments together. Blessings. 

Next Sound Bath is Dec. 18th 2025

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Interview with Interdimensional Artist Synchro Mystic

/ N.Pearson / 1 Comment

Find the full interview on YouTube Here.

Natascha: I’m here at Azila’ Cauldron in Eureka with Roman, a visionary artist and OG creative force of Humboldt County. My name is Natascha, and I want to thank you for tuning into the Little Lost Forest blog. I’m beyond excited to dive into the art, theory, history, and creative journey of Roman a.k.a Synchro Mystic. How are you doing?

Roman: Doing pretty good. Thank you.

Natascha: Awesome. Roman, where are you from?

Roman: Mind, body or spirit?

Natascha: All. All of the above.

Roman: I typically say that that way because my body is from Mexico. My spirit is universal, and my mind is global. My mind knows and exists and is part of a global reality that we’re perceiving together. And that definitely is who I am. But also, my physical body is a certain part of who I am, and my spirit is definitely on this mission. That is who I am as well. And those three are distinctly different things in a certain way, and my job is to try and align those together, that’s why.

Natascha: Your universal consciousness has landed you here.

Roman: Yes, but so many dimensions we can talk about that from. And that’s why I like to do art.

Natascha: Wonderful. Well during these interviews, feel free to dive into rabbit holes. We’re all really interested to see what inspires this beautiful art you make.

Roman: Thank you.

Natascha: How old were you when you first started drawing and creating?

Roman: I called myself, and this is, like, one of the most profound and silly, experiences in my life. I called myself an artist at three years old, and I specifically remember this experience that did that. And one of my older sisters came home from school with this big pad of paper, and it looked huge. But then again, I was a little kid, so it might have been a normal sized pad of paper. [Natascha’s Laughter] But then she puts it down, and then she shows me her drawings and I’m like before this moment, I considered myself a magician. And I was like, always pretending to make things disappear out of handkerchiefs and silly things that I saw. And I thought, I’m a magician. So, there’s first, there’s that. And I think that’s very symbolic because I think art is very magical. But anyway, I saw this sketchbook that my sister had, and one there was a crocodile she drew, and I could see a crocodile on this paper with lines drawn on a two-dimensional flat piece of paper, and I could see the three-dimensional crocodile that it was. And I was like, wow, that’s cool. And then the next one was a girl in a bikini. And I was like, that’s a girl in a bikini. I know exactly what it is. And it’s just a few simple lines on a flat piece of paper. And I was like, that’s magical. [Natascha: Mhm.] So, from that moment onward, I instantly call myself an artist, even though I didn’t know how to draw or whatever, because, uh, because at first, I was a magician. So, what did you have to learn?

Natascha: Would you say at a young age you related magic to art.

Roman: Instantly at three years old.

Natascha: That’s wonderful. I think you kind of answered this question, but what initially inspired you? Maybe outside of your sister’s drawing, what were some of the inspirations that have ended up fueling your creativity now?

Roman: Oh, man, I could have countless and countless stories, but I guess one fundamental, um, experience was, uh, being in Seattle during a very critical time in history, and I mean that in many different ways. The music scene and then the technological explosion that was coming from Microsoft at that time, an era when the very beginning and I tried LSD and, something I was never really too proud to boast about. But I also think that it’s a very important thing to express, that there’s these moments of that we can utilize as tools to activate something. Because on my psychedelic awakening, I definitely had so many things come together. And it isn’t all based on the psychedelic awakening. The Psychedelic Awakening gave me a view into the things that were already happening in my life. Like, calling myself a artist/ magician at three years old and a lot of mystical experiences that I never really understood growing up. That happened throughout my life. But for some reason, having a reflection like psychedelics or something external outside of us, like aliens or whatever, if you’re blessed enough to see that. But these external reflections allow us to look back at ourselves to witness these things from a third point perspective. And that helps us wake up, you know, like, oh, yeah, I notice these patterns throughout my life, I’ve never really realized how to deal with those experiences. And sometimes when you have like a psychedelic awakening, it gives you an angle to look at those things through.

Natascha: Wonderful. How would you define visionary art?

Roman: Well, visionary art to me means a lot of things. It leads me to the next thing I’m going to talk about. But just to answer your question first is, you know, at first when I got introduced to visionary Art, it was, outsider art. That was because I looked at a visionary art, magazine when I was really young, and I remembered i. It was more from people that I didn’t go to school to do art. For some reason, it was like, they call them outsider art. I thought that was interesting because there’s a visionary art museum with, uh, all these artists in there before the psychedelic visionary art movement. So then when they called the visionary art movement visionary art movement, it kind of like, wasn’t sure about that. And also, to me, vision means of our vision. But I don’t know what other art isn’t from our vision as much. (Natascha: Okay.) But don’t get me wrong, I still use that title to express our movement of artists because it’s something that people recognize right now within our circles of people, which is very powerful.

Natascha: Mhm.

Roman: However, I don’t think that it specifically talks about the movement that I’m a part of which I feel like the people of artists that you recognize yourself liking to are not a part of necessarily only. I created an art movement called the Interdimensional Art movement. (Natascha: Lovely.) And I even told Alex Gray about these things before we named the thing visionary art movement. And this was a long time ago. And he never even heard of that. And he really was vibrating with that idea, too. Which is really cool to always be able to share your ideas with other people and get reflection. And the Interdimensional art movement the acronym is I.M. (Natascha: Nice.) It’s based on the finite of yourself, your personality, your ego or whatever it is you’re that you’re wanting to express. And then the full title, Interdimensional Art movement has no limits. I think that’s more true to the what the visionary art movement that we synchronize with at the moment.

Natascha: Interdimensional Art Movement.Got it. Can you share a bit about your history as a visionary artist?

Roman: To simplify things, psychedelic awakening in Seattle. Recognizing everything at once and wanting to be part of an art movement. Because as an artist, you always look back at art movements and you relate to certain groups like the Surrealists, the Pre-Raphaelites, or like any segment throughout history, which is really inspired in certain ones inspired us more than others. Art Nouveau or whatever. I couldn’t deny that I didn’t want- I wanted to be part of a group like that, but there was no real group to that I could associate myself to at that moment. Plus, I wasn’t that advanced. But these ideas were coming. These desires were coming to me. But then I started paying attention to what kind of art movement would I want to be a part of? And then that’s when a lot of answers started coming, and that’s when I recognized, oh, those art movements. And we’re answering these questions that they ask themselves. And that’s why they became art movements, because they were answering a question of defining who we are as a culture. And that’s what creates a movement. And we attract each other that are representing this, this reality together. And then, um, that harmonizes us as a collective.

Natascha: That’s beautiful. Who are some of your colleagues in the visionary art community?

Roman: To me, I love the way you ask because there’s a seriousness to it. And then that kind of makes me laugh because I’m also a space cadet artist. But my colleagues. I’ve been blessed enough to have colleagues of all different sorts. Like, my Seattle experience was pretty profound because, when I was having this psychedelic awakening, and I was reinterpreting reality. And then I was like, I want to hang out with the Beatles. But the Beatles already happened many years before me. So, like, put the vibration I was getting the LSD vibe or whatever, you know, and I was like, wait a minute, I’m in Seattle. [Natascha laughs.] Just to bring that into perspective and for a few many years I would keep on running into people like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains. And this is my canvas. And I played in this dimension for a few years of running into these people all the time, getting to know these people from different perspectives. Like, I have so many memories to even remember at the moment, but one of them that’s on my mind right now is, uh, Soundgarden when they were recording BadMotorFinger. They had my paintings in the studio while they were recording a little bit of that album and stuff like that.

Roman: I remember going in there and picking up my artwork and them being all, like, polite and kind and gentle, but they’re like, really, they’re all really tall, like over six feet, you know? For me, that’s tall. Just having those memories ingrained in my brain and seeing how influential these people were, it was pretty intense. So there’s colleagues like that, but more precisely, to the art world is like, from Alex Grey. I don’t know. It’s hard to tell because the way that I learned about my colleagues is through a party that we started. That’s why it’s really hard to answer that question, because I have to, like, share the story of why I know these people. Because if I say Alex Grey, who might be the most famous and people recognize him, but there’s. I don’t want to skew the vibe just by that attention when there’s so many other beautiful and amazing artists and they all were attracted from this interdimensional art show we threw up in Seattle. And this was the beginning of before where? Before what we were doing. There was hardly ever, like, a live artist and galleries at events. That’s like something that was, I wouldn’t want to say that we started it, but we definitely made it a ritual.

Roman: And it brought together all these artists that some are now famous visionary artists from Luke Brown, Carrie Thompson. It’s like really challenging to even start naming them because there’s so many that I can’t even name. A lot of them, I’m sure that you would recognize. For instance, like Carrie Thompson came to make the most beautiful stages of electronic events throughout the world. You would recognize them because they’re super beautiful and Alex Gray and Mark Henson. I don’t know if you know Mark Henson, but he’s an amazing artist from not that far from here, from Lake County. And if I showed you his art, you would obviously recognize him.

But the reason why I really enjoy these people is because it was a family calling that brought us together, like these shows that we used to throw up in Seattle. Were exactly that. It really bonded a large group of artists together that never recognized themselves before. Now it’s easy to see. It’s all easily recognizable. But before then, we didn’t have anybody. This was like the beginning of us recognizing each other, which was really amazing.

-Roman

Natascha: Wonderful. At that time, were you part of a community? You say we.

Roman: I would say we because I can’t. I don’t ever want to feel like I’m taking responsibility for it. That’s one aspect which is still egotistical, but I am an ego, [laughter] and it’s very influential to where my idea is coming from. But at the same time, it is a collective thing that I’m just being aware of and I’m wanting to share that with people. So, I say we because, you know, I might have been inspiring certain ideas, but it came to be through a network of different people.

Natascha: Awesome. Okay. So, in your art, you use mixed media in your paintings on canvas, and they’re all very incredible and beautiful. We’ve discussed acrylic paint, pencil and paint pens in the past. Are there other mediums you’d love to work with?

Roman: Did you say airbrush?

Natascha: No.

Roman: That’s probably one of my favorite things, even though my relationship hasn’t been too intense with it yet lately. Definitely airbrush. Cool pencil for sure. Yeah.

Natascha: That leads us to our next question. What role does pencil play in your paintings beyond sketching the initial image?

Roman: Well, lately it’s been like taking a central role and I’ve allowed myself to draw more. Then I keep on realizing why I didn’t allow myself to do that more often. Because it really brings my vision together. Because I really love to draw with a pencil, and it really flows. And it’s a relationship between the lead and the and whatever the paper or canvas or whatever. It allows me to put a lot of detail as soon as I start painting, it becomes an emotional thing and I start relating to the canvas with emotions. And then oftentimes I’m I get lost in the emotions of it. When drawing with a pencil, it’s more mental, more ideas. That helps me like navigate because I’m an idea person. I can constantly be channeling my ideas, but then I bring in the emotions of color, and that’s when it starts to get the feeling. But it’s not as controllable for me.

Natascha: Can we take a second and look at this painting over to your left. Is there a pencil in that painting right there?

Roman: Yeah, this one is one of like I said recently, it’s been taking main stage. This is one of the paintings that I did as a live painting. Mhm. And I just allowed myself to just feel the music and vibe and not care about painting and just draw. So I drew pretty much the whole thing with pencil. And then I loosely started airbrushing and painting on top of it, but without covering the pencil. Of course it’s very raw and very loose. But there’s something I like about it. There’s something metallic about it that I really like.

Natascha: How do you select your color palette? You have a very nice rainbow assortment of colors in a lot of your paintings.

Roman: Yeah, definitely spectral for sure, because that’s the reality that I’ve seen. You know, a lot of my art was inspired by me walking around a lot. So, whatever I could bring with me, because that’s the way I’ve explored my reality. But also, with what I have and what I had for a while was black India ink and with airbrush, and that was it, a big bottle of it. And then I started wanting to paint with color. And then you realize you want the least amount of colors, or that was my experience. And then that led me to like, oh, the spectrum, the southern colors. From here I can do different shades of shades of whatever. That was if I look at it from the physical aspect. Like I said, you asked me who I am or, you know, uh, that’s physical. There’s also the mental and the mental is, it’s more chakra style. I use the rainbow colors because I feel like there are these seven dimensions. Those are perceiving reality. So, to me, when I learned about the chakras, it started making sense.

And being a psychedelic artist, I like to travel to different dimensions, so to speak. And the chakra system seems to be a way to understand that because each of the colors are a vibration and each vibration has a negative and a positive polarity. And if you start understanding how they interact with each other, then you can travel consciousness in that manner.

-Roman

Roman: And that’s the primary reason I use the rainbow color palette.

Natascha: Oh. That’s lovely. I hear a lot of entombment in your body when you paint and meditation as you’re painting and choosing your color palette is very interesting. Can you tell us more about the reoccurring themes in your work, what those might look like?

Roman: Definitely a lot of meditating beings, and sometimes I question myself on that. But like, I’ve had visions of tapping higher states of consciousness and feeling that. And there’s always people in the meditating pose and really high vibration. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve heard this from other people, too that these beings come in from other or we tap into a vibration or dimension that they are meditating in. When I experience that, it makes so much sense why I would be so infatuated with painting that because I’m not necessarily Buddhist, but I definitely visit the teachings a lot because very super profound. And it definitely helps as far as, you know, being present with yourself. So, there’s all those things too. I definitely have to admit there’s a lot of goddess imagery. A lot of awakening. A lot of dance parties. The dance parties are the symbol for humanity, I feel.

Natascha: Yeah. Who are the characters that we’re looking at? Do they have names? Personalities?

Roman: I don’t think about it too much, because I think it’s just like who we are on one level. So, I don’t really recognize any separation from just a snapshot of anywhere I would go. There are people dancing or whatever. That’s the main thing. But then the other profound thing is, I don’t know if you’ve heard of Tribe 13, but that was like our production company up in Seattle that through the Interdimensional Art shows. And it still continues to this day. And we have thousands of artists connected to that name. I think that you would consider visionary artists specifically. But essentially Tribe 13 is a traveling gallery at different events and that’s what we’ve been doing since Seattle, but definitely been to that gallery like boom Festival and Envision Festival and a myriad of other ones.

Natascha: You know, he just posted this on your Instagram, but can you tell us more about the meaning of Tribe 13? What where did you guys derive the name from

Roman: It’s really profound vision that happened to me as I was awakening. I told you about me about my psychedelic awakening that led me into really questioning my reality and really, dropping out, so to speak, to just meditate on these things. I started recognizing different patterns and the desire to be myself and to be accepted for myself and accept other people for themselves, which is a freedom, and all based on just the basic fundamentals of this country. So, it kind of unified all these things. But I was recognizing that nobody’s really living up to it. What does that mean? So, then I started questioning who I am. Who? Where do I belong? Or as a part of society or whatever? As I was having these profound questions, I would run into signs of different things.

And Tribe 13 stems from those realizations- as I was awakening up to this way of looking at reality- the symbols are infinite, and I can point them out later. But essentially what makes a Tribe 13 member is to recognize that we create reality, which means the only way to tap into this presence is to be in a state of giving and constant giving.

-Roman

Roman: A lot of people say, oh, yeah, it makes a lot of sense. That way you can receive. I’m like, no, that’s not the point. You can’t, um, you can’t live in a binary perspective. It’s got to be a unified perspective. And it has to come from source. So, to become a Tribe 13 member is to recognize that you are marrying yourself to your true self, which essentially synchronizes, synchronizes that to all the other beings that are doing that themselves. There’s no control mechanism, no one’s better or worse than you from from that perspective, those kind of perspectives can only come from the outer world. But the outer world is not a reality because we have to be in a state of giving. If you’re wanting to receive things, and that is one way of looking at it, but that you’re going to receive an illusion. So, Tribe 13 is the beings that are synchronized by giving from within out. Which art is the symbol of.

Natascha: Wonderful.

Natascha: I you’ve been talking about spirituality a lot, but how does spirituality influence your creative process?

Roman: Well, it helps me recognize who I am. You ask me who I was in the beginning, and I can’t answer that from one perspective. Like mind, body and spirit and spirituality. I feel like it helps guide us into what we’re supposed to be doing or wanting to do. And we don’t have to be deceived by an external belief of spirit or whatever, but to really recognize what you’re really wanting to intend as your person on this earth, which is really basic and not spiritual at all. But I would consider that spirituality because, again, chapter 13 and the vision of having to offer yourself from this source, from this center, is crucial to that. And why I would call it spirit is because it’s beyond what I could perceive. If I’m in a state of offering, I will be in this state of awe of the actual manifestation, if that’s going on.

Natascha: Would you say your art is an extension of that?

Roman: Without a doubt. But what is not. Everything is from that state. But oftentimes comes from like a really, maybe not evolved state or a weird interpretation or even negative. All these things have a way of manifesting.

Natascha: Sure. Yeah. Okay. What draws you to sacred geometry?

Roman: I definitely use sacred geometry as a thing, but I never really stick to it like some of my contemporaries, for sure. Um. Uh, yeah, I have, like, this deep gratitude for it. But I was thinking, like, if, uh, sacred geometry exists, then, uh, we are part of this, uh, sacred geometry. So, whatever I do is a part of the sacred geometry, because I can’t have a choice other than to create through the sacred geometry. So then at that point, I’m like, out the door. Don’t pay attention to it.

Natascha: Don’t even think about it.

Roman: I know exactly.

Natascha: It’s in the flowers, it’s already there.

Roman: Exactly.

Natascha: All right. What about your local community? How does that inspire your art?

Roman: That it confuses me, which inspires my art. I think our community and that’s why I, like I make a big deal with the dance party and social event because it gives us a view into our community. Where we come and show our art, our dance, our vibe, our talk, or this or the way we get drunk and shitfaced. I only say that that way because we need a safe place that people get to experience themselves and then figure out themselves so they can correct themselves. And I feel that these social settings in a loving and open environment have a way to heal. So those kinds of experiences wouldn’t be happening. And I just say that because we have a lot of healing to do, and we really need to, like, allow people to people to process their inspiration by not just accepting a rude behavior, but to recognizing and knowing that being recognized also starts having an alignment of sorts.

Natascha: I really appreciate you saying that. What shifts have you noticed in the festival scene, and why do you keep returning as an artist?

Roman: Well, to me, if there’s going to be any time traveler’s ever to come into existence, they’ll probably come through portals such as psychedelic events throughout the world.

Natascha: Cool.

Roman: I really believe that because when we go to an event like this with the artists, with the musicians, with the styles, with everybody offering their little trips, it really is like an eclectic group of people that are highly open and well, as far as judging against other forms of people in the world. We’re definitely at that point because we’re in this offering state of being or curious state of being, I guess might be better. That it allows a lot of things to come through, and that’s exciting to me.

Natascha: Kind of like they’re creating something new in these communities. There’s some kind of evolution/ evolving going on.

Roman: I definitely think that there is, but that it’s up to us for being open, because the opposite is also true, where people are being dumb and like, not learning or whatever. But I think that’s part of the fun for me because and what keeps me coming back is because I’m coming back now as an older person that has experienced certain things and like sometimes, I’ll get on my, like, flow where, like, I already know every conversation. [Natascha: Oh, no] -in a really amazing way. Not that I know the whole conversation, but what people are experiencing. And I feel like if we can develop our language, we can help bring people through a lot of experiences, a lot faster by just communicating with each other. And that’s one of my favorite things at a festival.

Like when I open myself up, I get attracted to these little circles and we get to share the pipe and then talk, and then all of a sudden, they’re like I had this one vision, blah blah, blah blah. I’m like, I’m like, I would look at the person and say, so what? And then they’re like, got their little spirit shattered. But then they recognize, like, what do you mean? Like, well, what are you going to do about it? And then like start talking to people like that and then like really brings this awareness to the person’s trip, like, oh, somebody’s actually listening to me. And then they go even deeper into their thing. And then you experience those kinds of awakenings so you can express your awakening to those people, and then you can stop and start helping guide this awakening collectively. So yes, there is an evolution of sorts like that.

-Roman

Natascha: Like, cool. So, on a global level, what changes would you like to see and how do you channel that vision into your art?

Roman: Well, there’s only one mission. The mission is to recognize that everything comes from within, out, and start not judging the external world or feeling like the you’re going to get validation from the external world. But to really believe in oneself, to be able to provide the offering that you really want to provide to the external world, not the other way around. If we could all start understanding that that’s how we fit in.

I feel like that’s when the big change happens, because so many people are trying to consume what they need to be or trying to acquire a sense of belonging from an external world to validate themselves. And it really screws up the whole mechanism of our existence. Because the universe is also like a, not an ego. So, it’s like whatever we’re creating is like going to manifest, uh, hugely, you know, because it’s like what we’re focusing on at the moment. So, I feel like once we start offering our true gift from inside then the universe reacts and recognizes that it can only provide abundance.

-Roman

Natascha: Lovely. That goes back to giving, giving, giving, giving. I love that so much. What upcoming events can we expect to see you at?

Roman: I’m excited to show my art across the street at Los Bagels next month in Eureka.

Natascha: Arts alive, right?

Roman: Yeah. Yeah. I still got a piece myself together, so I’m like, oh, yeah. That’s happening.

Natascha: Wonderful. What are some of your bigger goals as an artist?

Roman: I don’t know, I would like to write a book. I guess that’s one of my goals, because then I can solidify what I’ve been talking to with every people and just document it to be able to share that idea to other people, and it’s always been a lifelong dream. As an artist, oh, artist book, that’s an accomplishment. Uh, so there’s that. But that’s the physical. But on the spiritual plane, I’m on the quest to the eternal party at the end of time. Cool.

Natascha: I’ll meet you there.

Roman: Well, that’s the that’s the trick you just mentioned there. But I’m talking about the end of time. So, there are parties right. Right now.

Natascha: That’s happening right now. Yeah, we’re in it.

Roman: It comes back from the state of giving. That’s how you tap into it. So, if you’re in a constant state of giving, you’re at the eternal party.

Natascha: I love that. Awesome. Well, Roman, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us. We’re here at Azila’s Cauldron. You can find it on Instagram at @azilascauldron. It’s been an absolute pleasure. You can find Roman’s Instagram @Synchromystic and a huge thank you as well to Julian for recording this interview. You can check out his work on Instagram @depixture_media. All right. Thank you everyone.

MushLove Psytrance Party: Unity Under the Waxing Moon

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Saturday 2, 2024; 2 pm-2 am MushLove Crew threw a twelve-hour psytrance party at Ramp Art Skatepark in Arcata, CA. Local DJs came together with some out of town talent on the Day of the Dead, and a crowd, mixed of all ages, danced together under the continuous loop of psychedelic tunes like a space cadet’s first encounter with aliens. Sam Murphy (DJ Melting Vision), the event’s host and production manager, worked alongside Stacia, co-host and stage designer, whose creative vision transformed the space and Kale Oliver (DJ PYMANDER) project manager and CoCreator helped Sam dial in the details and logistics leading up to these events.

“[Kale] He’s our old school, Sam’s our new school, and I bridge the gaps in between! I Thoroughly enjoy Kales classic picks that stimulate a particular vibration and nostalgia while Sams strong drive to provide new music in his sets both live and weekly on Humboldt hot air (every sunday 12-2) typically has a bouncy but deep vibration ” They came together as a team and created the perfect pallet for me and the crew to enhance with Creative and interactive installs.”
-Stacia

The decor was like stepping into a neon Mayan Jungle, with flowers, skulls, and mushrooms. VIP offered a smoke lounge, skate bowl, and bar. The feeling of unity, inspiration, and movement flooded my veins while dancing with my community during the waxing moon.

Music by Minds medicine, Andrus, Luzidtrip and Formless are a few of the DJs who performed. Amazing sound engineering was provided by Paul Westerman. Stacia’s stage design transported us to a neon Mayan Jungle filled with vibrant flowers, skulls, and mushrooms. The decor pulsed with energy, drawing everyone into the atmosphere. The VIP area featured a cozy smoke lounge, skate bowl, and bar, creating spaces to connect and recharge. In the warm glow of the waxing moon, a powerful sense of unity, movement, and inspiration flowed through the crowd as we danced together, embodying the spirit of community and shared joy.

Here are two questions that were asked at the party and recorded later on.

Stacia: Two of the questions you had asked me during the party were two that not only did I like being asked but I also really liked my answer. One of the questions you asked me was where do I get my flowers from? Which is, you know, a lot of them I grow myself and dry. Many of them are foraged in small bits when I’m out adventuring with my dog (such as the bunny tail grasses and yarrow on some of my most recent beach visits!) Some of them are from clients’ properties that have given me access to their gardens or saved from previous events and utilized differently. Then also for the hydrangeas, I had reached out to my community on Craigslist and basically said, I will trade my time for your blooms. I will help you reset your bush so that it can bloom better next year. And I actually had three different families reach out that I went and basically traded resetting their hydrangea bushes in exchange for blooms that will last years. And I was just really appreciative that the community supported my search for foraged materials and also was able to help a couple families who can be expecting more healthy stronger blooms next year!

Stacia: The other question you had asked me was about some of the inspiration, I’m always inspired by what I have access too and that is where the creative visualization begins and all the ideas unfold from there with trial and sometimes error until it all works !!! -And there was that whole wall surrounding the paint play table with portraits that were by a local artist,  who passed away about ten years ago. His mom and I were organizing the garage and it was an emotionally bonding experience as we each took in the different portraits one by one both seeing them for our first time

 -I’m going to ask his mom, who lent me that art, if she would like his name mentioned in the article [Ryan Cox], because that might be a cool way to carry on life throughout death. That art was just so emotionally intense and, and just kind of made your brain think in a way that, for me, felt very much like a searching…[trails off]

  • Artist Ryan Cox
  • Artist Ryan Cox
  • Artist Ryan Cox
  • Artist Ryan Cox
  • Artist Ryan Cox
  • Artist Ryan Cox

Stacia and I were sorting out the garage one day and we found a tightly rolled bundle of canvases. I was thinking ‘this should go but knew that I should look at what I was throwing out. We unravelled the bundle and it was a collection of portraits R [Ryan] had painted. I had never seen them before. They brought me to tears. Stacia felt them with me and [I] was moved [when] asked if she could get them out into the world. I said yes, as I know my son would want his brushstrokes, his expression to continue speaking even after his death. He was dedicated to art, music, and all that helps us see each other and love more. He pushed boundaries and was the kindest person I’ve ever known. I don’t say this because I am his mother, I say this because that’s the legacy he left us. Passion for expression, play, insight, always infused by his kindness, his huge spirit and generosity that infused his life.

-Ryan’s Mum
Adriana Orta infront of Ryan’s paintings.

Sunday, I sat down with Stacia of StaciaFlowerSolutions At Clam Beach. The interview may have started the night before, but this was a quieter, more intimate setting. As my children played with her dog, Neptune, I had a few minutes to ask her questions about her flower arrangements and her goal as an artist. You may be surprised how this artist strives for connection, collaboration, and sustainability to make her dreams of the “Avatar Jungle” come true.

Natascha: Hi, this is Natascha with the Little Lost Forest, a Humboldt County lifestyle blog. I’m here with Stacia after going to a MushLoveCrew event hosted by Sam, Kale, and Stacia. Stacia is a Creative amongst other things and she puts together floral designs and visually satisfying interactive spaces.

 Hi, Stacia. How’s it going?

Stacia: I’m doing great today. How about you?

Natascha: I’m doing really well. Thank you. Last night was the Day of the Dead. How did the Spanish holiday inspire your floral arrangements?

Stacia: Day of the Dead was a great inspiration because it encompasses a lot of what I have been doing for my creations and alter spaces already. You know, there’s life and death, and then there’s us; kind of everything in the middle. And that’s  what Dia De Los Muertos is about. It’s about remembering its ok to feel sad about what you’ve lost or how things have changed. But also remembering to celebrate all the joy and life and energy that was here at one time. It was a great day to know that we could hold space for what we’ve lost, even if it’s not people or animals, but even just our stories and our lives as they change. There’s death, there’s life, there’s everything in between. And together it can be so beautiful and harmonious (especially while sharing space on the dance floor)

Natascha: That’s wonderful. There are dried, dead flowers and then there’s also live flowers in your arrangements. Is that correct?

Stacia: That is correct, yeah. Dried/preserved flowers that will last multiple events and fresh cuts from that day! To be dried later Trying to curate a balance between the two for both visual aesthetic and function of being gifted or repurposed

i especially love utilizing herbs that smell good and keep the dance floor fresh

Natascha: And I noticed that some of them were glowing. Is there another aspect to your design?

Stacia: I am inspired by the Avatar Forest, and I would love to create that atmosphere for other people to enjoy! You know, these installs start out with simple enhancements with the neon, but I dream to collaborate with someone who can actually assist me with their knowledge for engineering wiring and programming and together we would be able to create it, where people can go and interact and touch it and it glows and moves and breathes.

Natascha: It sounds like interactive art. How do you, how does your audience perceive your art? What kind of feelings and emotions are you trying to inspire within them?

Stacia: Interactive is definitely on point. I’ve been getting a lot of great feedback about things that can be moved, things that can be played with. One of my highlights this year being our blacklight body paint table, leaving it out sometimes for people to help themselves, or sometimes being there to kind of start the playful  process. Watching not only the flowers become neon, but the people become neon. And we’re all part of the installation and we’re all moving and playing and, you know, I’m painting, they’re painting, everybody’s painting each other, and it’s so fun to watch it spread through the crowd!

Natascha: That’s great. What are your ideas for the future with the flower arrangements?

Stacia: My ideas with flower arrangements are infinite. I love everything about flowers, whether it’s the metaphors for our lives and the way we are or, you know, the fact that they’re natural materials that we can use and repurpose. The dried flowers used at this event have made it onto multiple altar spaces across multiple genres of music, with so many different energies being absorbed into them. Our earth, our stones, our plants, it’s all absorbing and vibrating everything around us. I love creating custom anything and i’m up to the challenge! I love repurposing and my biggest dreams would be building a tribe of creators and all playing to our strengths to help people’s custom creations ,floral dreams or event ideas come true. Really- whether it’s weddings, events, storefront installs, custom celebrations and everything in between.

Natascha: Wonderful. What’s your position with the MushLove crew?

Stacia:I joined Much Love Crew as they started out this year I had a strong desire to contribute in a big way and i feel lucky to take on the roll of deco coordinator. Im passionate about psy trance and the healing its helped me with so when i met sam and learned of the vision i  wanted to help make that dream come true

 I feel lucky to have had some amazing inspiring people come and collaborate and volunteer their time, their energy and a willingness to be in the present moment and grow from there

 You know, I have a general vision, and a plethora of materials. But the crew is like, we’re all new, we’re all coming together. It’s like, I’m sort of there to lead, but more- I just want to bring people together to make weird art and MushLove is here to bring people together to be weird and just be together.

Natascha: What is your past history with the music scene?

Stacia: Starting on the East coast, I have been involved in the music scene of all different genres for many, many years. (I remember my first event solo vision was a womp wednesday at the wonder bar in allston MA featuring wobble sauce ) after moving from MA to CA i was compelled to work with another flower i’m passionate about and I took a decent hiatus from the music scene while I was working at The Lost Whale Inn found in Trinidad gaining many of my amazing floral skills along with many other skills i utilize to chase my dreams now!. Um, and now that I dream bigger, it’s…. You put part of your heart into your passion and kind of just dream big that you can survive off of what your passionate about

Natascha: Totally. Well, is there anything else you want to add?

Stacia: I just I, I would love it if people- not even just as the MushLove psytrance thing but in general like we’re all here and there’s a lot of people that want to create together. I’m happy to hold space and gather materials and reach out if you feel inspired by anything that I do, or you have an idea that you need an assist with, I’m happy to contribute. Like other people have for me and my visions.

[Added after interview] Stacia: I’m really appreciative of the spaces I’ve been welcomed to with the intent to let my creative form flow. The trust I’ve been given by not only the properties, the teams, the crews, the volunteers and everyone in between. But just like it’s all helping me grow into a better person, too, you know? Making art is a beautiful thing. collaborating on art with other humans is even more beautiful, especially on a creative journey of helping each other grow, change, and inspire

Natascha: If somebody wants to contact you, what would be the easiest way for them to get Ahold of you? Um, probably through Instagram.

Stacia: Has my email there too and then through there. If we need a more direct contact, we can share numbers and all of that.

Natascha: I’ll make sure to tag that below.

Stacia: @StaciaFlowerSolutions Creative Solutions to your *Home* Event & *Life needs!

It kind of encompasses a little bit of everything that I’m doing in my life, right now with Room to Grow.

Natascha: Awesome. Okay. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you.

We Are Still Here; A glance into Native American Culture hosted by Sage Romero

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(Mia and Sage at Eureka City School)

September 28, 2024, Eureka High School, Eureka, CA: After seeing Sage preform next to local Native students at two different Eureka City Schools during California Native American week I was able to sit down with him and Mia, a Eureka High School student, and ask him a few questions about his non-profit and his mission to showcase Native American culture and ceremony to our community. Never before have I seen cultural healing practices in educational setting. I was intrigued by these assemblies going on in Northern California schools and community centers.

Natascha: Hello! Welcome to the Little Lost Forest blog. I am here today with Sage at Eureka High School. He has been performing at schools in Northern California for California Native American/ Indian day.

Natascha: Hello Sage, thanks for sitting with us. How is your day going?

Sage: Manahu, it’s going well. Thank you.

Natascha: I just want to know, what’s your mission?

Sage: So, my mission is to help spread awareness of us as native people still being present. You know, we still have our culture. We still have a living way of sharing the traditions that our people have today, and also that we have a presence, you know, because there are many times when our people are overlooked or often seen as no longer really around. We don’t have a voice. Or there’s even where I’m from there’s this, perspective of like, oh, you guys are you’ve been defeated. You know, you need to sit quietly and, uh, it’s just a mentality that’s, you know, that’s been in people’s minds for a long time. So, my mission is to, you know, show that we’re still here. We still have strength. We still have grace. We’re still all about keeping things going. And, uh, you know, it’s about honoring the legacy of our loved ones that have gone on, the ones that have, uh, that are no longer here, that we can continue the traditions of song and dance and language and things that they taught and keep them going. So that’s what my mission is.

Natascha: And when you say we, you’re talking about your tribe? What tribe are you from?

Sage: So, I’m from the Big Pine Paiute tribe. From my mother, my late mother, Margaret Romero. And we call ourselves the Tovowahammatu Numu. And I’m also of the Taos Pueblo, the Tuah-Tahi people, people of the Red Willow. That’s the people of my late father, Andrew Romero. And we, when I say we, it’s obviously talking about my tribe, my community. But then again, you know, I don’t really have the right to speak for everybody. I’m just generally speaking, in terms of everybody that’s within our community. But, you know, I say it in a respectful way. So that’s who I mean.

Natascha: What about your culture do you feel has been lost?

Sage: Quite a few things have been lost. Where we come from, our people experience the Owens Valley Indian Wars, which was in 1862. And so, you know, fairly recent if you think about the history of the United States. And within that, our people were removed from our valley. And it wasn’t until the early 1900s, 1912, 1914, that our people started coming back because of the failure of the fort systems. They weren’t able to, you know, retain or keep our people there in a healthy manner or also just functional manner because it was so terrible back then. But back then they started putting our people back in the valley. Our people started moving back. And within that, of course, there was a loss of a lot of, you know, family members that didn’t survive the movement, the basically trail of tears of our Paiute people during that time.

Sage: And so, we lost a lot of connection to language, dances, songs, stories, things that had been passed down because obviously people that held those didn’t survive those times. So, they weren’t able to carry it on. And then with the introduction of Colonization efforts and, you know, being indoctrinated into different religions of people from different parts of the world. You know, it made our people forget about who we were and start adopting the beliefs of others because they lost a lot of the connection of the ancestors from that time. And so, you know, they started learning like Christianity and different teachings from other people.

Sage: And so, within that, there was also the effort of eliminating the Indian identity and making sure we all become a part of the general population, you know, the melting pot of America. And so, the idea was to eliminate language, eliminate culture, eliminate things that they do and just make them citizens of the United States. Work job, pay bills, retire, and that’s it. You know, you’re done. Uh, so within that, we lost a lot of culture, and now our people are really working to revitalize a lot of those things. There’s a big revitalization of language, right now. Of course, with dance and song, you see a lot of these things coming back. More people are practicing, more people are learning. Young, young ones are starting to learn earlier. And, uh, you know, that’s a big part of our culture. And we still got it going on today. But we did lose a lot in those times.

Natascha: And when you refer to the medicine, what are you referring to?

Sage: So, when I’m doing my presentations, I often talk about medicine. And as i explained to the children, it’s not about pills or a drink you have to take. It’s just the medicine to us is a spirit and the emotion. Your body, what’s around you, how you portray yourself, how you carry yourself, how you treat others. That’s a medicine. How you make people feel. And so, when you’re doing something like me sharing the hoop dance, you know, it’s, uh, affecting people differently that watch it, you know, some people will see it and they’ll see take something out. And I believe that, that’s a medicine. That feeling that I’m giving them. And so, within myself, I have to make sure I’m living in a good way. I don’t partake of any type of drugs or alcohol. Things like that, substances. Because I know that when I’m out there dancing, I want to make sure every message that’s going through my body, through the hoops is received in a good way. You know, because when you mix just like any prescription drug, you mix them wrong. You can make people sick, right? So, there’s that whole aspect of the spirit.

Sage: Same idea.

Sage: You want to make sure you’re in a good place when you’re sharing these type of things. Because that medicine, the dance, the songs, everything that helps people and that’s what it is to us.

Natascha: Well, thank you for sharing the medicine with our community.

Speaker1: Thank you.

Natascha: Do you feel like the community as a whole can and should participate in a Native American cultural celebration?

Sage: Uh. It depends. It really is dependent upon what community you’re around, because there are some ceremonies that our people keep private that we still have. And oftentimes our people will share that, this is just for our community, this is for our people. And, you know, it’s just a way of having respect given people, our people and space and time to have that just for our people. But like with the gatherings like tonight or like a powwow or a social gathering, a big time, which often happens here, that’s everybody’s welcome to come to those. So that’s always a good thing. And I think it’s a good spirit, you know, because it shows people what we do. You hear the stories, you hear the protocol. You learn how to how to act when you’re there. And oftentimes, you know, we ask people when you come to these gatherings, so make sure you’re not under any type of influence. You’re not drunk, you’re not high or anything like that. Come with a clear mind when you’re there so you can be present. And, you know, as I talked about before, medicine, how it’s important. That’s also so you can receive that good medicine and balance.

Sage: So, I think it’s good for people to come and attend to our public ones like tonight and take part and learn, you know, because as my mission is to, you know, spread awareness. If nobody’s coming, they’re not going to, you know- it’s not going to- my awareness efforts aren’t going to spread because people aren’t hearing the stories. But if people from the community non-natives are coming, they’ll hear the stories. They’ll see the perspective; they’ll experience it hands on in a sense. You know, being right there and hearing it and seeing things in person is so much more powerful than, you know, watching YouTube videos or TikToks and things like that. There’s more, you know, it has more impact upon your soul when you’re there, present with it. So that’s always good to have. So yeah, I’d encourage people to come to public, but remember the protocols and make sure you. Ask first if it’s something that the public can come to, or if it’s just for the tribe.

Natascha: Thank you. Can you tell us the story on love?

Sage: So, there’s many stories of love within our tribal peoples, and really depends on where you’re at and what time of the season it is and stuff like that. But the one I’ve been telling at the presentations, because I play the Native flute, has been a story of courtship about the efforts someone would take if they had become interested in somebody. And this comes from the Plains people.

Sage: And so, this story talks about an individual falling in love with another. And so, when that time comes and they’re of age, you know, the proper age, they’re kind of grown a little bit. And they’re given permission by their family that they could start doing these types of things. Perhaps they had gone through their puberty ceremonies, adolescent ceremonies, because that’s something you have as native people, so they’re seen as an adult.

Sage: All right. So, if you become interested in somebody you would often start learning the protocols of your family. So, one of those protocols is a flute song for those people from the plains. And the flute song would have been passed down for generations. So, their family has a song that’s specific to them. And they would go, and they would learn that song. And then once they knew it, they took time and devoted themselves to that practice. They would take the time to go to that person that they were interested in, go to their lodge, which was not just the person, but also their family, and they would sit outside it at night after the sun had gone down. And then they would begin playing that one song, and they’d play that song all through the night until, you know, the first light started coming.

Sage: And then they would take the time to go get a little rest themselves, because you’re not supposed to sleep all day just because you’re trying to be romantic. And so, they would go and rest up, and they would come back the next night, and they would do that again all through the night. And then after that they would come back again. Third night. Then they’d come back again a fourth night. So, they would do this for four nights in a row. And then after the fourth night was the time to show it out, because as they were doing that, the person being played for in the lodge, that they’d have an idea, you know, someone was interested in them, so they know, but they were never allowed to look out and see who was playing for them.

Sage: So, it was a little bit of a mystery, per se. And so, after that fourth night, the individual that was interested played the flute would go in front of everybody in the village in the middle of everybody, and they would start playing that same song over and over again in the middle of the day. And this would, you know, make people say, oh, there’s that song that was played at that lodge over there. Somebody go get that individual that was living there. Someone go find them and bring them back so they could see who’s been playing for them. And so, they would do that and that person would come back to the village and they could finally see who was playing the flute. And so, if they were interested, you know, and they accepted that courtship, all they had to do was go up to that person and take their hand in front of everybody in the front of the village, and then everybody would bear witness and say, okay, these two are now together. Let’s let them build a relationship. Let’s let them get to know each other. Nobody else tried to come and disrupt that. Let’s respect that space so that. That’s what that would be known.

Sage: And from there, that couple would begin, you know, their life, whatever their family would be, they would start creating that. And there was also the turn of maybe they weren’t interested. And if that would happen, they would simply just have to turn around and walk away. And that person in the middle with the flute would continue playing and just wait and wait and wait and maybe someone will come and tap him on the shoulder and say, it’s okay, how come you know that? Kind of give them the give them the little assurance that they’ll be all right. You know, and it’s time to stop.

Sage: So, there’s that story there.

Sage: And then they would just continue on. And I was accepted. You know, it wasn’t something that you wouldn’t try to go and protest and say, how dare you not accept my flute song? You know, you couldn’t do that. You just said accept it because it wasn’t your time. And so that’s how it was done. And that’s a story that’s passed down. And that’s the way that a lot of families were created back in the day, was using such a technique of courtship.

Speaker1: Out of curiosity. Did you ever play the flute for four days?

Speaker3: I’ve tried, yes, I’ve tried and failed, unfortunately.

Natascha: It’s awfully romantic.

Sage: Sometimes, too romantic for this day and age. [Both laughing] Yeah.

Natascha: How do you think sharing culture can unite and make our communities stronger?

Sage: As I said before, it’s about raising awareness and getting an understanding of each other. Because if you’re creating barriers, if you’re pushing people away, you don’t want to have them around. You’re never going to get a sense of connection. You’re never going to be able to form any type of relationship, whether it’s a big one or a small one or whatever. So, to be able to have that connection of seeing each other and hearing each other’s stories and feeling things on a human level, you know, that’s important because that’s what is so important about multicultural gatherings, people coming together and sharing whatever it may be. It gives you an understanding of where other people come from.

Sage: It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to go and, you know, um, be an appropriator go appropriate to the culture. You know, it’s not that. It’s just your understanding of what they’re doing because, you know, everybody’s life journey is different, and it’s beautiful to see all these cultures and how they became the way they are. Even within tribes, native tribes, different languages, different songs, different types of dances. But still, you know, we all respect that. We give each other space and time and understand that, oh, this is how you do it. Oh, this is how we do it. But it’s not like an argument. It’s not like, oh, we’re doing it better and we’re doing it right. No, it’s just that, oh, this is our people’s way. This is your way. That’s good, I understand that. So, I’ll give you space when I need to. You know, that’s that understanding. And I think that’s really important to have in the world today some, some connections so that people can experience each other and just see where they’re coming from. I think it’s beautiful when you can use art and culture as a way to connect to that.

Natascha: Oh, I totally agree. I’m talking about art and culture. How does art play a part in your ceremony?

I think there is a teaching of an elder that said that to us, art is our ceremony. It’s not necessarily art. It is just a ceremony. What it is, you know, our dances and our songs. You could label it as art, right? But to us, to do this dance in itself is a ceremony. There’s no distinction, there’s no separation.

Sage Romero

Sage: It’s just one thing to us. And so, to us, you know, it has to be there where we can share these things together. And, well, like you look at the sand paintings of the Diné people, how they paint with sand and my people with our baskets, how we utilize them. Again, people can see that as arts and crafts, right? But to us, there’s always a deeper meaning to these things. And there’s just it just doesn’t really make sense to me as a native person to separate them because they’re so intertwined and connected. And I think it’s just it’s pretty much just one thing to us.

Natascha: Awesome. Is there anything else you would like to add or share on culture and community to our readers?

Speaker3: I would just say continue learning about others in a good way. You know, appropriate way. Don’t be appropriator or don’t be going and stealing other people’s culture. You know, always ask permission and find out what’s proper for you to do and what’s something you can learn. And you can go and develop yourself. Make sure there’s communication. You know that’s important. But as for other things, I think it’s just important to be a part and share it. Like these gatherings like this, community gatherings, experiencing things, you know, be in the moment. That’s the important part. Be there, be there, be present. Use your eyes to watch. Use your skin to feel the wind around you, the air, the music. You know, how the drum can impact the air around you and all the things that are happening and just be there. That’s what I would say is take it in as much as it is. Take it for what it is. You know, make that effort to be a part of something and go with an open mind and a good mind and good heart. That’s all I can say about that.

Natascha: Well, thank you so much, Sage, for sharing all this awesome wisdom and stories with me.

Sage: All right. Thank you.

Sage Andrew Romero is a member of the Tovowahamatu Numu (Big Pine Paiute) and Tuah-Tahi (Taos Pueblo) Tribes. He is an accomplished Hoop Dancer/ Cultural Presenter/ Director/ Animation Artist/ Singer/ Keynote Speaker and has traveled internationally sharing the Culture of his people through song, story, dance and art. He is the founder and Director of the AkaMya Culture Groups, a Native American owned and operated 501(C)(3) Nonprofit Organization based in Tovowahamatu, Payahu Nadü (Big Pine, California).

SPRAY PAINT ART @ Cannifest 2024 Humboldt, CA Headlining Lettuce

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 I came to Cannifest to support my local cannabis scene, and it didn’t disappoint. Sponsored by SAFFY THC, the first Black and Jamaican-owned cannabis farm in Humboldt County that offers the community sun-grown, greenhouse-controlled dank light dep flower that can be found at Zen Humboldt and Proper Wellness. What I discovered went beyond my favorite cannabis community, local glass artists, and funky, groovy music—what truly captivated me was the underground street art culture.

Cannabis businesses, dispensaries, and farms from all over California gathered to showcase their products. Local dispensaries like Arcata Fire, Proper Wellness, Phenotopia (Santa Rosa), Zen Humboldt, Moca + The Ganjery, and Heritage (Ukiah) were all in attendance, showing the diversity and dedication of California’s cannabis industry. Many out-of-towners were surprised to see street artists painting directly on the city walls. These murals stay up until Cannifest rolls around the following year, when they are painted over, and the cycle starts again.

“It’s too bad,” Ember from Soulshine Glass remarked to me. “I really liked some of the previous art.”
“Well, it’s kind of like your glass art,” I said, perhaps a bit dimly. “It doesn’t last forever.”
“Well, it can,” she replied. That’s when I realized I’ve been seriously mistreating my own glass collection.

The impermanence of street art is something I find absolutely beautiful. Artists create for themselves—to express a fleeting moment, connect with their community, push boundaries, and make bold statements. Knowing their work will eventually be covered challenges them to create again and again, evolving with every piece. It’s a cycle of relentless creativity. Maybe that’s why graffiti culture pulls at my heartstrings so strongly.

This year at Cannifest, I made it a point to chat with some of the street artists to hear what they had to say about their work and the impact of this ephemeral art form.

Willow + Ember from Soulshine Art
Winning Banger

And of course, the music was on fire! The main stage lineup featured incredible performances from Lettuce, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Rainbow Girls, Mendo Dope, Oteil & Friends, the Nth Power, Junior Toots, the Magnificent Sanctuary Band, and a Wiyot Tribe Blessing to honor the event. Over at the Unity Stage, Deep Groove Society, Storytime Crew, Pressure Anya, One Wise Sound, Redwood Roots, and Marjo Lak kept the energy flowing.

Note from Conversations with Participants
Indoor growers will tell you they’re too good for trimming—“Trimming sucks!” Meanwhile, outdoor homegrown farmers will tell you how much joy they get from trimming fat, crystal-coated nugs—“Oh yeah, I love trimming!”

Take the poll: Where do you stand on trimming?

Natascha: So. What’s your tag name?

Artist1: Eesh.

Natascha: Eesh. Can you tell me some advice about tagging to unexperienced artists?

Artist1: Get in where you fit in.

Natascha: All right. Thank you very much. I love the colors that you use. Is there anything that inspires this piece that you did today?

Artist1: Artwork and vandalism.

Natascha: Hi. I’m here with a tag artist. What was your tag name?

Artist2: Oh, I don’t have a tag name. My name is Matthew Olivieri, though.

Natascha: Okay. Thank you, thank you. Matthew. Um, this is a very distinct cube.

Natascha: What kind of cube is this?

Artist2: Well, um. That’s a different question. Um, yeah, it’s.

Natascha: Revert back to the original question.

Artist2: The original question? Um, yeah. The shape of the cube is an isometric cube.

Natascha: Yes. Thank you. And where did you learn about isometric? And, like, what inspired the isometric cube?

Artist2: Well, I actually teach a lot of, uh, I teach art at the juvenile detention facility here in town. Yeah, so I teach how to do 2D or. I’m sorry. Two. Two point perspective and three point perspective and things like that. So I’ve been working with kind of geometric stuff like this for a little while. Um, but in an educator capacity. But I kind of take my, my work home with me a little bit by drawing things like this for myself, you know? So this is actually a logo of sorts. Um, a shout out of sorts for the business that I’m starting with my cousin.

Natascha: Um, what’s the business name?

Artist2: It’s called Faux Real Design Group.

Artist2: Cool for real design group FAUX.

Artist2: And it actually says F A U X.

Artist2: R e a l.

Natascha: Oh, I see it. So, so, um, and then we do.

Artist2: He does, uh, augmented reality on top of my artwork.

Natascha: Wow.

Artist2: So if you scan this QR code, you can actually activate activate the the augmented reality on your phone.

Natascha: Sweet. I’ll tag it in the blog. I really appreciate your time and your art and what you do for the community. That’s awesome. Thank you.

Artist2: Thank you.

Natascha: Hi. What’s your tag name?

Artist3: Uh, Lauren Wheeler. Oh, tag. Uh, I’m. For what? For this. Okay. Yeah. Or. Yeah. Uh, 21 bangers over Instagram.

Artist3: What does this piece mean to you- Politically.

Artist3: Politically?

Natascha: Yeah.

Artist3: Uh, I’m not into politics, so it doesn’t have anything to do.

Natascha: So is it anti-political?

Artist3: It ain’t. Anti anything. It’s it’s it’s pro thinking.

Natascha: Um, you don’t feel like there’s revolutions going on all the time when people protest and speak up?

Artist3: Well, I feel like revolutions just puts you right back into the same spot. It’s an evolution that has to happen.

Natascha: Do you think that happens within, or do you think that happens on a governmental level, on a whole country level.

Artist3: That happens within because it’s thought that put us into these spots. It’s thought that even is going on right now. Everything is only a thought and people’s been killed to think this thought for many years. And then everybody thinks the same thought about the revolt or what’s going on with the government or the money or all this thing. Right? So to evolve, you got to think drastically different and not in those terms.

Natascha: If people are looking for healing, what kind of community do you recommend to find healing in.

Artist3: The same vibration.

Natascha: All right. Thank you very much.

Artist3: Yeah. Thank you.

“The people shouldn’t confirm around the community, the community should confirm around the people.

Lauren Wheeler

Natascha: Hi. What’s your tag name?

Artist4: Uh, my name is Zevo. Z-E-V-O.

Natascha: All right. Zevo, I was wondering, what part of your culture has influenced your tag piece today?

Artist4: Uh, so I’m Chicano, and the Chicano handstyle really influenced me. The old English letters and stuff like that. It’s a big part of my culture.

Natascha: All right. It’s super dope. And where are you from?

Artist4: I’m from Santa Barbara. Socal.

Natascha: Okay. All right. Thank you so much.

Natascha: Hey, what’s your tag name?

Artist5: My tag name is Golden Flower underscore CA.

Natascha: This is a really awesome piece. What is the hand in the in the snake represent to you?

Artist5: To me it represents a connectedness with the water as well. And, yeah, the symbols of just, something humanistic or creature like. Yeah.

Natascha: What about SEON? What does that represent?

Artist5: So this is a collaboration with my friend from Chile. And so this is supposed to be some type of compass. And that is literally the country of Chile in a chili like pepper form.

Natascha: I love it. That totally brings the two pieces together. Thanks for the explanation.

Natascha: Hi Christopher, I love this piece that I’m looking at. Can you tell me a little bit about your style?

Artist 6: Um, yeah. Just try to keep it sharp and clean and vicious looking. And we’re doing, we’re doing a comic book called the Max. Kind of like a tribute to it and putting our own graffiti twist to it.

Natascha: Okay. Thank you so much. It looks sick.

Natascha: Hi, Erica. This is a really beautiful, feminine piece that you put up here at CanniFest. Can you tell me a little bit about the story behind this piece?

Artist7: Well, quick blurb. We have our queen bee and her best buds, and it’s- I’ve been messing around with doing figurative work with creature heads, alluding to a more feral side of things that we often don’t acknowledge and probably should acknowledge more.

Natascha: All right, I see that absolutely.

Artist7: -Know your monsters. I like to paint a lot of the animals that are often given a bad rep and, you know, misunderstood monsters and bees are definitely one of them. So we gave a feminine woman with a bee head and her beast buds.

Natascha: Awesome. Thank you for keeping it fresh, I love it.

Artist7: Yeah. Thank you.

Show Some Love by adding these artst on IG!

@baaby._____

@wandering_eyess

@uglyeyes

@santacruzlurk

@nofacenocase_ui

@therealmichealwinslow

@notyouraverageshane

@zevor400ml

@_Whipple

@thejamsbrand

@s.murphyart

@shawnthemonster

@perplexx_art

@thor.ski

Tea Lounge

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Little Lost Forest presents the Tea Lounge at Eclectic Farms, providing a donation-based tea and cuddle puddle space.

Eclectic Farms is a Northern California event located in the mountains of Titlow Hill, a multi-generation oasis for underground music events. The lively EDM scene hosts multiple stages and genres, artists, and play areas for performers, carnies, and lovers of nightlife. Located an hour from Cal Poly Humboldt, people aged 18-99 from all over the world and different walks of life gather to dance under the musical umbrella. Supporting local talent, Eclectic Farms is a community-made event that showcases local DJs, musicians, painters, interactive art pieces, paracord trampolines, farm living, and is placed in the heart of the Redwoods. Lasers, concert visuals, premium sound, pole dancing, aerial performers, fire dancers, and go-go dancers all enhance the main stage, while two garage stages played live music and more trap-style EDM. This year, the Mush Love Crew hosted a second stage lit with black lights, neon decor, and bodypaint with a pop-rock dance vibe. If you dare enter the tea lounge, Little Lost Forest hosts a relaxing space in a bell tent covered in local art, cushy pillows, and delectable tea.

The past three events have been out of this world. You might be familiar with some of the talent coming through Eclectic Farms. DJ and live artist Joe Mallory opened the first party in June with psychedelic ambient music. June’s headliner was Rammun, a couple from Willits who played spiritual funk rap. While Narion worked the mixing board, Luna rapped conscious, mind-expanding lyrics. Maggie fire-hooped with Humboldt Circus, and her performance was both mesmerizing and inspiring. Something about the relationship between the dancer and the fire creates a trance-like ambiance on the dance floor. LoCo Flow Fusion is a central Humboldt-based fire troupe. Bartending and performing is the incredible Boofy the Clown. Mushroom cocoa and niche tea blends offered by Ana’s Herbals. Deep, intercate tarot readings channeled by TOAD and art and firespinning by local artist @psychicmisfit.

When asking Mush Love Crew to make a statement for the blog, they gladly told us a little about themselves:

“Our June show was our first all-night outdoor party as Mush Love Crew, so that was super special. Our deco coordinator is Stacia Weener at @Staciaflowersolutions on ig, she absolutely deserves to be mentioned because our stage only looks that good because of her. We also did that one as a collaborative effort with Siskiyou Psytrance. At that party we had an international dark psy duo called Promnesia play. We also had Feral Selector from SoHumSyndicate, Agent 37 from Siskiyou Psytrance.

Our July party we collaborated with our sister crew Fractal Factory out of Oakland. Our headliner was Tugadoom, a brilliant live experimental dark psy act from South Africa originally. Also from the crew was Luzidtrip who played an outstanding forest set.

Mush Love Crew’s resident DJs are Melting Vision, Pymander, and Joe-E. I founded this crew on New Year’s Eve of 2023 with the goal of building a home for psytrance in Humboldt County. Hope this is helpful, and I’m happy to provide any more info! We’ve got another party in the works for early November!

Stacia is renowned as a found and foraged artist, creating her works using materials she finds around her. She emphasizes reusing, repurposing, and utilizing nature as much as possible. Her unique vision aligns perfectly with our Psytrance crew. Additionally, she’s very welcoming to other artists who wish to collaborate or get involved.”

I highly appreciate their ability to bring high-energy dancing and a neon atmosphere to the event. The DJs bring high-quality psytrance back to the dance floor.

Our Tea Lounge is a new addition to the Eclectic Farms parties. Our goal is to create a place to relax, revive, and connect with the community. The Tea Lounge dome tent came from a grant for the Festival of Dreams in Eureka, where many of our crew members participated in the “Wigi Dome” project. The Tea Lounge displays art by local artists, offers donation-based tea and sweet treats, and has a plethora of pillows, blankets, and small tables. I enjoy offering tarot readings in the tea lounge, along with live painting outside of the lounge. Some of the aesthetics might be familiar to those who know Little Lost Forest, with themes of the forest, the human body, and otherworldly creatures. As a team, we collaborate on art projects and strive to create immersive art so others can join in the experience of creation. In July we featured Cal Poly Artist Jolie. 

This Saturday 8/10/24 we will be back on Titlow Hill. Tealulah will be joining us with @tealullahstravelingtealounge. We look forward to serving unique tea blends that stimulate or relax the mind. I expect to be showcasing ceramic sculptures by Jackalope Studios. Jackie is a Cal Poly graduate, ceramics studio artist and painter. We display paintings by Natascha and Jeremy Pearson. Natascha has been painting at EDM events since 2012 with San Diego crews Triptych, Soul Works and the Cool Cat Cafe. Jeremy is a local cannabis grower with twenty years of experience, currently working @primeexotics_dispensary off broadway in Eureka. @Orioncooksit is our team chef, who specializes in health conscious and energizing organic options. Our newest team member @disenchantedcreations is our rave mom who is embarking on a van life adventure and world schooling. Together we make the Tea Lounge a place for you to enjoy. 

See you on the mountain. 

@eclecticfarms for event information. 

The Wigi Dome

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An Interactive Art Installation

What inspired the Wigi Dome?

The end of the school semester came in June, which meant a break from substitute teaching for me, and the beginning of summer. My daughter’s previous teacher and good friend forwarded me the “Call to Artist” by the Festival of Dreams in the Lost Coast Outpost. They were giving out $40,000 of art grants up to $2,500/ ea. The gears of my imagination pushed forward. 

The event’s theme was the Wigi, the Wiyot name for the Humboldt Bay. I was inspired to combine my job as a substitute teacher and my passion as an artist to come up with the Wigi Dome, An Educational type of Magic. 

What is the Wigi Dome? 

The Wigi Dome is a 19×18′ tent that can fit about 13 people, funded by the City of Eureka for the Festival of Dreams. For the event, Fun Facts were lined outside the tent made by second and third-grade students from Laurel Tree Elementary in Arcata. On the top of the canopy, local artists spray painted with water-based acrylic on cloth panels to represent different times of the day and places of the Manila Dunes. Artist such Gizmo (@neudepths), Jackie (@jackalope_studios_arts) and Joe Fox, Ruth (@ruthcreaates_4), and Amber (@mushroom.firy.logs), Autumn, Sera and Georgia.

What is the Festival of Dreams?

The newly created event is Festival of Dreams – a collaboration between the North Coast Repertory Theatre (NCRT), Ink People Center for the Arts and the City of Eureka. The festival will happen in two parts: an outdoor event Aug. 18 through 20 that will take place at Halvorsen Park and around Old Town, and an indoor festival on Oct. 5 through 8, that will be held throughout multiple different Eureka venues. And to make this new festival even more exciting, the City has made more than $40,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant money available to fund local artists who want to participate. 

–Stephanie McGeary, https://lostcoastoutpost.com/

The festival Started on August 25th as a parade danced through Old Town. Local businesses allowed performing artists to set a stage in their occupancy, including Eagle House and Eptimony Gallery. 

Saturday’s event took place in Halvorsen Park as the free interactive art festival commenced. There was a beer garden, vendors, and lots of interactive art. Perhaps you found yourself lounging in the Do Nothing’s Societies Oasis (@thedonothingsociety), hanging out with flow artist Zephyr, making your own tarot cards, and eating complimentary fruit. Enter the Kaleidoscope airplane or sit at a table at the Clam Juice, a psychedelic experience (@glittergizzard). Beautiful fabric acro dancers from Synapsis performed in the center of the park. You may have wandered into a forest of pom poms or the dream-like fabric maze. You step into the photo booth and allow its mechanics to hand draw your photo (@aart.by.mir). Live music and a late-night DJ rocked the stage. In the amphitheater, an artist hung a lanyard of butter wrappers painted with unique images. Ceramic artist Josh Roller (@darthgritty) displayed abstract creatures and wall hangers along the stone edges, along with a smoking dragon, a bone and metal sculpture, and much more art surrounding the amphitheater. 

How was the Wigi Dome experience at the Festival of Dreams? 

The Wigi Dome offered tea and art by Erica Brooks (@fineartbyerica), Joe Mallory (@joemalloryart), Ruth Murphy (@ruthiecreates_4), Drake Munson (@draykinarts), Natascha, and Jeremy Pearson (@littlelostforestart). 10% of all paintings sold inside the dome go to Friends of the Dunes to restore Manilla. Kris Coffman (@kriscoffmaninsight) spoke on Love and Communication with an intimate group that shared stories, laughter, tears, and animal noises. Rah Kiv (@rahkiv) played Flamenco R&B to set the mood as the vendors finished setting up and the festival began. Ruth, vocalist, and Uncle Steve, violinist (@unclesteve1352) performed sea shanty and folk music throughout the day. I made a Wigi mix that was Lofi Hop and had the sounds of the animals of the bay mixed in for in-between sets. Stories on Humboldt County were shared within the Wigi Dome between our community and collaborators, along with discussions, lessons, and music. I ended Saturday night with Alien Paintings, where we free-painted on canvas, folded the cloth in half, and opened it with a groovy alien design. On both days, Jackie (@jackalope_studio_arts) spent a few hours painting fish ceramics with “kids of all ages.” Autumn was an active emotional support partner throughout the festival. 

At the Welcome table, we gave out an educational pamphlet by K-12 Educator Crystal Linde about the Wigi, The Wiyot name for Humboldt Bay. We also asked our guests to write an Orison (a 13th-century word for a prayer) for the Wigi. Here is what our community had to say:

We appreciate all the effort that went into the Festival of Dreams. The coordinators, staff, and volunteers. Along with all the other artists that participated. It was truly a beautiful experience to hold space in an interactive art installation to teach our community, hold space for discussion, and supportive relaxation. Thank you to all the Wigi Dome collaborators, artists, musicians, historians, businesses, volunteers, and community guests. 

The Wigi Dome doesn’t end at the Festival of Dreams. On September 9th the Wigi Dome will have a booth at Recovery Happens. Autumn and Natascha collaborated on a small interactive art piece where we will ask the community to write on a leaf, What in their life is worth living for and clip it onto the tree. I dream of displaying this place at Morris Grave. We will also be exhibiting the Wigi prayers at the booth. In the future, I can see further collaborations with educators, community, and artists and bring this project to schools to educate our youth in an interactive manner. 

Check out the Wigi Dome Website at https://littlelostforestar.wixsite.com/little-lost-forest.

Please donate toward our Go Fund Me! https://gofund.me/bc4db4cf

Come check us out tomorrow 9/9/2023 at Recovery Happens!

The Wigi Dome: What inspired it, What it is, What it has accomplished, and Where it's going next.

Interview with uncle Steve; Long Time Violinist from Arcata

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On Monday, June 11, 2023, Natascha and Uncle Steve sit in the back patio of Everett’s, in Arcata. He sips on Corralejo tequila with cranberry juice on a beautiful yet slightly cloudy afternoon. It is the day before his seventy-first birthday. Uncle Steve turns off his speaker playing Bob Marley’s “River to Babylon” and we begin.

Uncle Steve @ Old Town Coffee and Chocolates Open Mic

Natascha: Okay. Awesome.

Uncle Steve: Just cranberry and club, I mean.

Natascha: Welcome to the Little Lost Forest blog. Today I will be interviewing Uncle Steve, an Arcata based musician. Hi Uncle Steve. How are you today?

Uncle Steve: I’m fine. How are you?

Natascha: I’m doing really.

Uncle Steve: Good. Good.

Natascha: Where are you from?

Uncle Steve:  Originally? L.a. Los Angeles.

Natascha: And now? You’re staying in Arcata.

Uncle Steve: Arcata? Yeah.

Natascha: Um, what’s your instrument of choice?

Uncle Steve: The violin.

Natascha: What else do you play?

Natascha: Uh, recorder. Soprano sax. Timbales, and timpani.

Uncle Steve: Violin is my main one.

Natascha: Who are you currently playing with?

Uncle Steve: Anybody wants me to play with them? [laugh] I play with a group called the Wild Banshee Whispers. We do Irish folk music.

Natascha: Um, where do you guys perform?

Uncle Steve: Various places. We played at Siren’s Song. We played Blondie’s. We played at Medieval Festival in Blue Lake. Yeah. Yeah.

Natascha: So cool. How long have you been playing the violin?

Uncle Steve: Off and on Since I was nine.

Natascha: What inspired you to play?

Uncle Steve: Uh, going to assembly at elementary school. They had an orchestra, and I went home, and I told them I wanted to play an instrument, and they asked me which one. I told them the violin. They kind of looked at me and laughing and said, What the hell do you want to play that one for? So because everybody else plays guitar, bass and drums, I wanted to be different. So. So off and on since I was nine. Continuously since 2009.

Natascha: What motivates you when you play? What are you thinking about? What pushes and drives you?

Uncle Steve: I love music. So, you know, a lot of people go out and play and busk and do things like that. I’ve never done that because I play for the love of music, not for it- not to make money. That isn’t my goal. So.

Natascha: Who are your childhood influences?

Uncle Steve: Uh, [laughts] that’s a, that’s that’s really a hard one because there’s so many. I mean, growing up, I mean, I’ve seen Jean-Luc Ponty, I’ve seen I like jazz violinist. I like.

Uncle Steve: I like the violin. Like I’m playing with the guy now. And our opening scene, our opening song, always. It’s our go to song signature song is “One More Cup of Coffee,” but it’s on the Desire Bob Dylan’s Desire album. So we open up every time we play together. That’s what we open up with.

Natascha: Um How is culture and heritage present in your music?

Uncle Steve: My dad was my stepdad was big band jazz guitars, and my mom played folk music and. They both play guitar. So, I mean, that was pretty much. But in the jazz influence, Yeah.

Natascha: Does spirituality play a role in your music?

Uncle Steve: I don’t. I don’t know that one. I don’t know. If it does or not, maybe for some people they see it that way. But I just do it because I love music.

Natascha: Um, how does your music represent your past?

Uncle Steve: Yeah, I had a jazz bassist friend of mine that was giving me jazz fundamentals and he told me to go out and find a 12 bar blues piece and then learn it. And the key is written in every key. But then I saw him years later. I said, Maybe I should go out and get that 12 bar blues piece now. He said, Why? You’ve lived it. Just start playing it. So that’s what I’ve been doing.

Natascha: I mean, where do you see your music going in the future?

Uncle Steve: This is on an upward swing and it’s been going that way since I moved out here. So I guess that’s how I see it. It’s moving. You know, I’m playing with people that I guess I like. This past weekend I played with, I guess, some of the top names in Northern California, all in one weekend, just all day long yesterday.

Natascha: And can you name a few?

Uncle Steve: Aw, Phil from Bow-legged Buzzards. He and I played. I let him use my acoustic and I used my electric and we sat and jammed for hours, you know, Friday night. Yeah, it was cool. And other people, I mean, I, I don’t know who they are. I mean, I just had fun playing with them. I’m going to be told that my friend that I went with Joe, the keyboard player, he knows a lot of them, knows of them and knows their stories. And so he’s going to let me know. He’s going to tell me about them.

Natascha: Oh, what is the local music scene like in your eyes?

Uncle Steve: There’s a lot of variety and I get to play with a bunch of different people that play different ways. So, you know, if I know if I could hear it or if I know what key you’re playing in, I can probably, I can do something with it.

Natascha: What advice do you have for starting musicians?

Uncle Steve: Don’t stop. Yes, it gets frustrating, especially if you’re learning classically or if you’re learning. If you’re being serious about it, it gets frustrating. Just don’t give up.

Natascha: I love that. Thank you. Um, anything else that you’d like to add about your experience, your past, or your heritage?

Uncle Steve: I, I’ve enjoyed playing music, and I, I’ve done, like 19 bicycle trips and I’ve had the violin on one of them, and I played everywhere from Marin all the way up to Cresent City and back down to Hayfork. So. And it’s what I do for fun. It’s something I enjoy and I.

Phone Speaker: Goodbye.

Uncle Steve: [To speaker] Goodbye.

Uncle Steve: I like to. I like playing music.

Natascha: Oh, Where can we see you in the future? Any upcoming shows?

Uncle Steve: I’m usually at Blondie’s at the open mic and I like going to open mic. I like being able to play with different people. When I lived in Hayfork and during the major trim seasons, you know, I must have played with 6 or 7 different countries in one night, you know? So it was pretty cool to be able to do that. You know, I get a lot of how do you do that? You know, because if I can hear it, I can do something with it.

Natascha: Okay. Thank you, Uncle Steve. We appreciate all of the followers and encourage the community to go see local musicians.

Uncle Steve: Thank you. Okay.

Uncle Steve and Natascha @ Everett’s

TLC Artisan Festival Manila, CA

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@littlelostforestart

Teach Learn Create Join us at TLC artisan fair on Manila. We will be holding space for artist as a nonprofit monthly. DM me to vend. #humboldt #art #420 #manila #eureka #arcata #calpolyhumboldt #paintings #littlelostforest

♬ Dreams (2004 Remaster) – Fleetwood Mac

October 29, 2022- (Manila, CA) I am honored to share my latest volunteer assignment at TLC and our first Artisan’s fair that took place last Saturday. TLC showcased seven local artists, a band, and DJ at their new building on the Samoa peninsula. The TLC location includes a wood and artist studio space and a festival location open for the community to educate, create, and display in a safe and judgment-free environment.

TLC, “Teach, Learn, Create,” is a nonprofit funded by Jonas Kavanaugh and Patrick Murphy, two Humboldt County artists whose goal is to promote community interaction, share the knowledge of entrepreneurship, and showcase local artists. Jonas with Monument Settings builds benches for Arcata Skate Park, the Eureka waterfront, and other local sites. His partner, Patrick, owner of Redwood Humboldt, facilitated an art gallery in Arcata and is known for his picnic-styled wood benches. Patrick closed down his gallery due to multiple hospital trips and brain surgery. He is now on a mission to allow artists the freedom to showcase their art and get it out in the public’s eye.

TLC has set up booths at the Medival Festival of Courage in Blue Lake and the Zero Waste festival in Fortuna. Now they have put on TLC’s first festival at its home location. They plan to have a booth at Humboldt Cal Poly and other upcoming events and host TLC artisan fairs bi-monthly. You, too, can be a part of TLC, come to our meetings every Monday from 6-7pm at 2050 Peninsula Dr., Manila, CA to be a volunteer.

Photographer Matt Fahey is a supportive volunteer of TLC, offering his extensive knowledge in photography and videography to help artists with product photography, commercials, and documentation. He vends Hypertufa (concrete pots), suitable for succulents and concrete/ upcycled stepping stones.

Andrew Morin, an active TLC volunteer, is a metal welding artist who incorporates local tumbled rocks. Anything from metal key rings to stone door knobs, hangers, and much more. He has been getting back into metalworking since moving to the area last year. He enjoys reusing steel from the scrap yard or from the locals. He also enjoys incorporating other local resources, including reclaimed wood. He makes practical pieces with fun features such as enamel and beach stones.

Micah Edgar is a music producer, musician, and sound engineer. He is an active TLC build crew volunteer. He has been producing music with a friend for a year and a half. He started working on custom instruments by repurposing old electronics about six months ago. Since then, they have changed the invention of sound and look forward to putting out their first album. Patrick and Micah collaborated on a tape loop sampling synth. Micah’s collaborative electronic music reminds me of an early-day Radiohead. You can find his music here.

Natascha Pearson (that’s me!) is also a frequent volunteer. I am an acrylic painter with themes of surrealism, the female body, mythology, and spirituality. I am also a practicing pagan supplying my community with altarpieces, salves, bath salts, and tarot readings under the name Little Lost Forest. I help connect artists and collectors to our TLC community. I also vend my husband, Jeremy Pearson’s paintings. He paints landscapes and space.

The Tea Fairy brought a child-friendly, fantasy shell-building station with moss, mushrooms, and natural goods to decorate in a shell! She also displayed degradable glitter, Dream Sachets, and needling art.

Mihael Kavanaugh preformed on stage. He is a singer song writer, and poet. His business is Fairwind Botanicals with lavender sprays and balms.

Primitive Roots with Fortuna farm owner Sarah (info@primitiveroots.art and FB at Primitive Roots 707) displayed resin and wood bowls, cutting boards, some with transformer-burned wood designs with a resin coating, unique cribbage boards, and much more. You can find a video of Sarah’s partner Loren woodburning with a neon sign transformer here and his IG.

Steadfast Creations offered knitted and crotched goods and cute octopus plushies!

Violinist, Uncle Steve, an Arcata local, played with band members Erick on drums, Joe playing keyboards, and Frank on the flute.

@littlelostforestart

TLC Artisan Fair. Manila, CA Uncle Steve rockin the violin with this local band. #humboldt #artfair #tlc #littlelostforest

♬ original sound – Taschy

I look forward to more TLC artisan fairs, and I encourage you to spread the word to any upcoming artists still getting their feet on the ground to contact Patrick on the TLC Facebook page or come to a Monday night meeting to participate!

Medieval Festival of Courage

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October 1, 2022- The Medieval Festival of Courage was hosted by Coastal Grove Charter (K-8th) in Blue Lake, CA. With 50 vendors, two stages, and three unique arenas, the festival attracted a large crowd dressed throughout the ages. I had the privilege of vending with TLC. My children, their friends, our friends, and school and work peers all came to indulge in the festivities. This two-day event spanned from Saturday to Sunday and was a very special showcasing of central Humboldt’s hidden gems.


At $10 a ticket, knights, wizards, queens, and kings entered the gates! Greeted by a sword-fighting arena for children and a few rowdy fathers, took on foam-covered sticks and fought to the death! The sword fighting arena was one of the most popular activities full of children’s rampage. The front stage was bedecked with belly dancers, clog dancers, poetry, and bagpipes. The days were full of thespians and musicians belching out their hearts in a medieval dialect. Surrounding the arena were vendors of jewelry, clothing, food, and wine. The cherry wine flushed the lady’s cheeks and beer overfilled grizzly bearded men’s mugs. Carmel dripped off green apples like witches’ muck, and meats and corn were cooked on open grills.


Over by the paddock was a tent for the kings and queens, dressed in authentic 500-1500 ce costumes excluded from the common folk. A large crowd lined the fences as men on horses jostled, flinging one another from the horse’s back. Between shows, men in armored suits and beautiful women dressed as royalty paraded the horses for the audience to touch. Within this arena were a petting zoo, a miniature pony ride, and even axe throwing! The animals warmed the children’s hearts while leaving their turds along the pathway.


Even though there was a metal fence on the high-top areas, I combined this arena as one. The front entrance welcomed the crowd to a beautiful children’s area and homely vendors. One tent offered toys for the children, blocks to make castles, animals to dress, and playsets decorated with dangling tassels and velvet flooring. A majestically dressed woman read stories from a book and welcomed groups on a story quest with the legend of the Sword in the Stone. Also displayed were gem vendors, free pin-making stations, and a gnome dome, the safe haven for the tired-out child to live in a fairyland.

Then there was “TLC” a non-profit showcasing local artists, including me! I represented Little Lost Forest displaying wands, resin trays, acrylic art, and ruins! I had the pleasure of live painting and reading tarot. My friend Savana showed her unique electroplating copper jewelry, and Patrick his locally made wood tables, mushrooms, and swords. We advertised for our upcoming festival in Manila next month! Behind the metal fence were aerial silk performers with young girls climbing the ropes! Musicians played at a small stage in the back, serenading us with the violin. A jump house, jewelry vendor, and archery station fit with plenty of room along the basketball court. Men, women, and children pulled back their bows and shot toward haystack targets. A few performers free-flowed with staff, poi, and Hoola hoops.

The Medieval Festival of Courage was a well put on event that brought the community together, offered affordable vending spaces, and showcased some top performers. The children ran the show, and Coastal Grove Charter did a good job relating its artistic and out-of-the-box curriculum. More adults (then I think would like to admit) dressed in their favorite garb and transported back in time. At the end of the day, the playful and innocent collaboration of our communities youth shinned through, and I can’t wait to return next year.