Welcome Home
THE CREATIVE SANCTUARY OF TRANQUILITY, GROWTH, AND BELONGING FOR DEEPLY SENSITIVE THINKERS AND INTROVERTED FEELERS
This is your Haven. A virtual world of encouragement, inspiration, and community for people like you, who want to plug into their natural tranquility, joy, and creative courage to gently counter the self-destructive, hyper-active demands of a world that often forgets to take a breath.
I imagine you’ve arrived here because you are a reflective person with a caring, creative, and compassionate spirit?
You know there’s so much more within you, waiting to burst into life. But maybe you don’t quite know where to start or how to bring it out in a way that feels good to you.
If so, you’re found the right place. The Haven is a virtual online village of resources and community, full of people like you.
- Global Community -
Meet Like-Spirited People
The Haven community is built around interest groups. So whether you want to meet people with similar passions, or learn new things, you can connect with gentle like-spirited souls in the process. And who knows, you might even consider starting a group of your own.
- Deep Creative Growth -
Life-Changing Resources
The Haven is built on cycles and seasons of breath and becoming. We are stepping into who we are, not down one linear tarmac road, striving for some preconceived destination. But gently peeling back layers and peering into the mystery and magic of unimaginable beauty and joy.
- Rest and Recharge -
A Restorative Environment
Whether you want somewhere to call home, or you just need some temporary respite from our noisy world, you can use The Haven as your sanctuary. Get the encouragement, support, and inspiration to find your footing and build your life with more meaningful intention.
Try it For FREE Today
Monthly Pass (with free 7 Day Trial)
Full Access To The Haven Virtual Village (with Theatre, Library, Café, and Couch) The Archive of Interviews, Videos, and Courses since 2014 The Haven in Your Letterbox (physical post sent to your door) The Exclusive Haven Private Podcast Feed Access to Community Happenings and Interest Groups Opportunities to Join Creative Partners in Exclusive Groups, Events, and Workshops Invitations to One-on-One and Group Coaching Programs, as well as Access to Unique Courses and Services
Meet The Team
In the autumn of 2021, The Haven begins a gradual shift towards a collaborative leadership structure, led by Andy and facilitated by a small team of creative partners.
While Andy will continue to run things as before, we get to enjoy the added contributions of gentle rebels with a variety of interest areas and backgrounds, from around the world. Some will take more active roles in organising and running events and workshops inside the membership.
Andy Mort | Founder and Creative Coordinator
Andy created The Haven in 2014 as a private annex connected to his blog, where he invited introverted and sensitive people to explore more of who they are as creative gentle rebels. He is a songwriter, professionally qualified life coach, and multipotentialite who's life is shaped by a diverse and disparate set of interests, endeavors, and explorations.
He has a way of stumbling into projects and roles. His approach to life could be described as one of curiosity, experimentation, and odd playfulness. Early in 2014 he strolled by a funeral home, next to which a gaggle of undertakers (four) were disembarking a hearse. He wondered how on earth one ends up in such a line of work. Of course he didn't ask out loud because he was too scared. But when he saw the position of 'funeral services operative' advertised a few months later he decided to see for himself. Roll the tape on and he has more than a few rather interesting stories to tell from his 6 years working as an undertaker.
Many of Andy's transitions through life have been carried by the thought "that would be a funny, unexpected, or strange thing to do". As a 'recovering' (but still active) people-pleaser, the motive for him to do the weird thing has always been in conflict with the desire to do the "normal thing"...odd usually wins out.
As a child he wanted to be a rock star, a footballer, a painter, a writer, a builder (specifically a digger driver), and a shop keeper. And he spent a lot of time inside his head, creating elaborate imaginative worlds to explore. He has fond memories of painting and cross-stitching with his late grandparents, and still laments the decision to throw away the evidence of his passion for sewing during a moment of deep shame.
After creating The Return to Serenity Island course (inspiration for which goes to Hook and the Famous Five, among other things), Andy has reconnected with creative remnants of his childhood, including his watercolours. Perhaps the cross-stitch will return one day soon. He loves playing with his three nephews, bending his mind with philosophy, and watching Twin Peaks.
He loves helping other people connect with their creativity and play, and really enjoys hanging out in The Haven and making a bit of a fool of himself (which he seems to do quite a lot).
You can listen to Andy's music here: https://music.andymort.com/
Tuula Ahde | Assistant Coordinator and Sous Chef
Tuula is a human cocktail of empathy, insecurity, bubbling creativity, imagination, intuition, overthinking and overdoing. "So much spirit packed in a physical vessel that it struggles to keep her properly contained”, as Andy has described her. She loves learning, mystic souls, deep voices, Andy’s music, lyrical photography, details, pondering, creative projects, writing letters, accidental coaching conversations, and witty humour.
She speaks Finnish, but struggles to write it. She writes in English, but struggles to speak it. She lives in two places: by the sea in southern Finland very near Helsinki, and in a lake-side cottage on the outskirts of a national park in central Finland.
By day you'll find her on the sofa, lost inside her laptop. By night you'll find her skinny-dipping beneath the midnight sun, or during the winter, taking ice photography and admiring the moon and the Northern Lights.
Tuula is a true multipotentialite, driven by and towards much more than any label could define. Among other things, she has studied social sciences, languages, graphic-design, marketing, psychology, massage, interior and garden design. An interest in human nature has always played a big part of her life. By virtue of her deep sensitivity and empathic listening, many have benefited from her intuitive coaching and mentoring. She is the founder of the Erityisherkän elämää (Highly Sensitive Living); a free resource website and online courses for HSPs. And she created Photoyoga, a concept which encourages the development of creative awareness and self-knowledge through photography.
You can find her on instagram, twitter, facebook.
Tuula has been a member of The Haven since it started, and followed Andy's gentle journey of growth and flourishing over the years. She describes it as her soul's home. It's a place of memories, personal growth, friends, love, and music.
You will always find her nearby as a kind and gentle spirit, waiting to welcome you home. She runs the Photography Group as well as many of the live happenings in and around the community.
Lindsay-Celeste Graf | Creative Community Partner
Lindsay-Celeste is an eclectic creative in her mid-thirties. She lives on Vancouver Island on the West Coast of Canada, and loves the variety of outdoor beauty and exploration available in her hometown. She has lived in various "alternative" living scenarios, including an off-grid cabin, a sailboat, a mountain remote homestead and now a small trailer-house.
She is passionate about designing a lifestyle that allows for lots of flow, exploration and creativity. Her past includes studies in religion, sociology and art. She has worked with a spiritual community to draw together Christian and Pagan practices into peaceful earth-honouring ceremonies. She is passionate about the skills involved in community building cooperation, and believes the process of working together is as important as any product.
Currently, her artistic expressions include: collage, poetry, textile creations and home design. She is fascinated by the intersection of spirit with the physical world, and works to bring more awareness, ease, and delight to this integration. She loves country music, skinny-dipping, mangoes and twilight.
You can learn more about her through her regular podcast: Magic for Realists and connect on instagram @magicforrealists
She resonates with Andy and the Gentle Rebel ethos, and is excited to bring her playfulness, creativity, and ways of seeing and making sense of the world to the community.
Lindsay-Celeste runs the Sacred Space and Creation Station Groups in The Haven. You'll also see her in and around the community discussing the monthly themes with Andy.
Kendra Patterson | Creative Community Partner
Kendra could never figure out if she is an intellectual or a creative, and for many years split her life between the two. She loved learning and research, and got a PhD in political science, but she also loved writing fiction, and amassed a collection of short stories and half-finished novels.
After getting burned out trying to make her life work on these two separate tracks, she realized it was time to combine them. She started blog (kendrapatterson.com) and a podcast called Stepping Off Now, where she writes and speaks about how to thrive as a sensitive, curious creative in a world that makes it difficult to stray from conventional paths.
While she was pursuing her education and creative writing, Kendra spent many years living overseas, in Italy, China, Japan, and Australia. When she returned to the States she held a number of interesting jobs, including at an internet startup, a retirement home, and a Washington, DC think tank. She eventually found her way to Gainesville, Florida, where she stayed on after getting her PhD at the University of Florida (Go Gators!).
She lives in a small bungalow named Honeysuckle Cottage with her family, which includes two dogs, one cat, and six chickens. She enjoys writing, researching, podcasting, coaching other sensitive creatives, backyard homesteading, reading, baking sourdough, and being lazy and wasting time on purpose as an anti-capitalist rebellion.
Kendra finally finished a novel and will be seeking publication for it over the next year, be it traditional or self-publication. She runs the From Burnout to Book group in the Haven, where you can find support for all your writing needs.
Follow her on Instagram @steppingoffnow and Twitter @patterskendra
Would You Like Some Support From Kendra With Your Writing?
Kendra is kindly offering a complimentary 45 minute One-to-One writing consultation to new members. Whether you are still looking for your big idea, have that spark of inspiration but don’t know how to start, are in the dreaded middle-stage doldrums, or just want to finish the damn thing already, Kendra will help you get clear on how to make it happen.
Make sure you sign up through this particular link, in order to have access to your call with Kendra.