Rising Stars: Meet Kalichi Lamar of Miami, FL

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kalichi Lamar

Kalichi, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I would like to begin my story by honoring the matriarchs of my family; the women who planted deep roots within me. These roots include the men who raised and protected me. Together, these wonderful men and women taught me to never forget who I am or where I come from. I was birthed on a dormant volcano, a small island we know today as Borikén (Puerto Rico). To further tie me to the land, I was given the name Kalichi, which is Indigenous-Taino for “fountain of the high mountain.” The beginnings of my childhood were surrounded by mountains and the sea; vital aspects that would impact my future work. As a young child coming to the U.S. and learning English as a second language, my imagination and creativity are what helped me get through many challenges. I was known as a daydreamer. Unknowingly, these gifts would help me get through the most difficult times in my life, as well as influence my future as an artist and healing arts practitioner.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would say my journey was a series of waves that I had to learn to ride. As mentioned above, my gifts would help me get through the most difficult times in my life. This presented itself when I used my creativity as a coping mechanism through my father’s passing from Pancreatic cancer when I was 15 years old. Additionally, my creativity helped me cope with my grandmother’s dementia diagnosis, being a caregiver through my 20’s, and facing my own health challenges later in adulthood. I had an inner will and drive to alchemize my pain into creative expression. Something as simple as sketching, coloring, writing my thoughts in poetry, and taking photos of nature brought me joy and peace. Each experience was a catalyst to growing as an artist and being deeply inspired to help others heal through the creativity. These experiences would later motivate me to pursue graduate studies where I earned an M.S. and M.A. degree in Psychology and Arts in Medicine (also known as Arts for Health/Wellness).

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an artist and healing arts practitioner. As an artist, I run a small shop where I create woodburnings and laser cut/engraved wooden pieces for personal use, home decor and sacred spaces. Each piece is a representation of repurposing and alchemizing nature – a connection to roots. When I work with wood, the connection is an awareness that the piece I am working with came from the earth, from a tree, from the land, from the roots, and was brought to me to change its form. Like wood, we also go through changes. We expand and contract depending on our environment, and sometimes we are uprooted to plant seeds and root ourselves in different phases of our life.

As a healing arts practitioner, I provide creative wellness sessions for individuals experiencing grief and loss, as well as to promote relaxation and mindfulness through the creative process. I use my background in the arts and psychology to bring a holistic view of healing while also cultivating a connection with nature. This includes using art to remind ourselves that we are part of earth, part of the soil, and part of the ecosystem. Creative expression is engaged through the lens of Indigenous community healing and honoring the entire person – mind, body, spirit, and their connection to land and community. Cultivating each connection brings a sense of healing within our minds and body. We are not alone; we are part of a larger collective.

My work and studies opened doors for me for me in healthcare, which allowed me to provide creative outlets for cancer patients, the elderly, patients with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and movement disorders. More importantly, it cleared the path to collaborate with Taino artisans in my community, as well as organize creative wellness sessions for clientele of a local small business and university organizations.

How do you think about luck?
Rather than seeing luck as playing a role in my life and business, I learned to pay attention to synchronicities and when to take chances. I believe most of my ability to appear as a lucky person is because of my risk-taking personality. Even through fear, I take plunges towards possibilities. This is not to say I never made mistakes. I made plenty of them on my journey. However, I never let those mistakes hinder me from continuing to try. Over time, I learned to have discernment, which enabled me to pay better attention to my intuition and refine each decision I make. If you are feeling the pull towards a path, take the leap. Jump.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kolibriembers.com | www.raizcreativewellness.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kolibriembers/ | https://www.instagram.com/raizcreativewellness/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/artist.arthealer

Image Credits
Kalichi Lamar