The Haven Village Square

the haven

an online village for gentle rebels and deep souls

Hi, I'm Andy. I'm a songwriter and a professionally qualified coach.

I started The Haven in 2014 as somewhere for highly sensitive people, introverts, and gentle rebels to meet and explore.

But this is not a community preoccupied with labels. You will not be asked to fit a mould of what a highly sensitive person "should" be. You are welcome as you are, however you see yourself.

I love hanging out here, leading gatherings, creating prompts, making zines, and publishing blog posts and podcast episodes.

Why are you here?

Maybe you are tired.

Tired of conforming to the demands and expectations of a world that never stops asking for more.

Tired of performing a version of yourself that fits in, only to realise it is a thankless task.

Tired of feeling like you're trying to function in a world that wasn't made for people like you.

Does anyone else feel this? It's not just me?

You might end up feeling scattered, overwhelmed, and stuck, endlessly weighing up the options and second-guessing your words and actions.

In an effort to move forward, you have tried optimising routines, buying planners, setting goals, and following the latest productivity advice.

Yet this leaves you feeling even more confused about what to do.

Despite how it feels, the issue is rarely a lack of knowledge and preparation. In fact, many highly sensitive people spend a lot of time researching, thinking, and planning.

We are swimming in "solutions" and "fixes" that teach us to squeeze ourselves into unnatural shapes.

Using approaches and processes that don't reflect or support our natural needs, preferences, and rhythms. And they don't give us space to play and breathe.

Even those who offer something different often do so with rigid systems and cookie-cutter models that assume all HSPs are the same.

The harder you try, the worse it feels.

Most personal development assumes you need to move faster, plan better, and squeeze yourself into someone else's system.

I don't believe that.

Sensitivity is not a problem to be fixed. Working with it requires a different way of understanding ourselves and engaging with the world.

A creative space

I believe that now, more than ever, we need our creativity. As a form of gentle rebellion. And as a source of positive change, infused by sensitivity.

I know "creativity" can be a heavy, even scary, word. But I want to show how small and simple I believe it is. How present and accessible for all of us.

It is not something we find once we have figured everything out.

The figuring out happens along the way. It's never complete. It moves us, and we move it. It's always been that for me in my relationship with music. One note at a time. One dot at a time. One word at a time. One puzzle piece, seed, brushstroke, smile, tear, laugh, encouragement, or nudge. This is everyday creativity. It can happen accidentally and in surprising ways.

And by BEING together and bringing it together, who knows what could be possible?

Our Collaborative Zine

Every two months, we create and share our collaborative zine, Coming To Our Senses.

It includes words, images, collages, sounds, scribbles, and anything else that shows up. It's like a collective scrapbook that captures our explorations around each seasonal theme.

Our theme this season is True Colours.

The Haven's Social Rhythm

We have regular gatherings, which provide space to pause and breathe.

Attendance is optional, and you are always welcome to dip in and out whenever it is convenient.

We start the week on Monday at the Live Café co-working space with 80 peaceful minutes alone-together alongside other members. We end the working week with Friday's Journal Circle, which offers a chance to check in with ourselves and others and to witness the week before it disappears. And on Sundays, we meet in the Kota, which offers a variety of pop-up happenings, conversations, and time to tend to personal projects and creative endeavours.

You can come to everything, or nothing, or something in between.

What Members Say About The Haven

"It is a place for sensitive and/or introverted people to remove the masks we feel obligated to wear out in the larger world and breathe freely, speak freely, and grow freely with others who are doing the same."

"We all want to feel a sense of belonging and connection. A place where we feel 'at home’, where we are accepted and most importantly where we can be true to our inner self. I’ve found this in The Haven, provides nourishment for the heart, soul and head…and Andy brings such a caring humble and intelligent spirit to his creation."

"The Haven is where I meet my “tribe” and my authentic soul can emerge and feel safe and utterly accepted. In this community I feel like I’m wrapped in a big warm hug and given a mug of hot drinking chocolate…"

“The Haven provides a safe space for quiet rebels to learn how to take care of themselves, excel in their own way, and feel understood and accepted. It’s perfect for the quietly ambitious!”

"To me, the Haven is a place to belong. It is where deeply caring and thoughtful people come to connect and to share. It is a place of healing, a place of comfort, a place of rest, but also a place to be inspired, and a place to grow. It is a place to feel at home. 🥰"

"The Haven has been a useful place where I have felt at home amongst other people who share similar characteristics to me. I have benefited from learning more about being a HSP from the activities offered, wisdom shared and information given.”

"My world is so chaotic and overwhelming. I really appreciated the rare peaceful companionship of the live cafe. Andy has done a wonderful thing collecting us from around the world and providing a cozy place for us to coexist."

"Andy's authenticity, generosity in giving credit to others as well as his fresh and insightful thoughts has generated a great space. I am positively addicted to this supporting community of creative, fun and goodhearted people."

"The depth of Andy's wisdom continues to amaze me. He expands on his wisdom in true artist style with the people he invites to share of their experience for you to learn in a way that inspires and gives you a sense that you have discovered your tribe.”