The Healing Art of Tea
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Fabula Tea was founded in 2014 to bring wellness, beauty and inspiration to people through one-of-a-kind tea experiences. Practicing the art of tea helps us connect with the changing rhythms of our body, mind, heart and life. It is a wonderful vehicle through which people can come together, engage their senses and feel rejuvenated.
Art and storytelling have always been a big part of Fabula Tea. Our mindfully sourced loose-leaf teas are packaged in tea canisters illustrated with original artwork from local artists. We love hearing the stories of different artists and what inspire them in their work. When we create an event around tea, we often collaborate with talented and exciting local artists to instill our clients with renewed sense of joy, clarity and creativity.
When we first met Purvi back in 2014, we were instantly drawn to her energy and the mission of Kids & Art Foundation, an organization that she founded. The way Kids & Art Foundation utilizes the healing power of art to improve the well-being of children with cancer and the care circles around them really struck a chord with us. We knew then that it would be the perfect non-profit organization to collaborate with and contribute to.
Fast-forward 4 years, we have created two custom tea blends and four experiences together! For the two custom tea blends, Kids & Art Foundation supplied two unique pieces of artwork and we designed two custom tea blends that would reflect the essence of each artwork.
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not Artwork and Herbs
The first piece of artwork that we picked was “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not”, a painting of a vibrant flower with large yellow petals and background. It was painted in 2008 on a rainy, dark day in Palo Alto at a workshop in Ronald McDonald House. We were told that the piece was created by Olivia while working alongside artists Sanjay Patel and Helen Cole Lew. Olivia was a participant and teen artist. Sanjay Patel is an animator and storyboard artist at Pixar Animation Studio. Helen Cole Lew is a teacher, artist and the Programs Volunteer at Kids & Art.
Even though Olivia was in the immunocompromised section of the house, and the sky outside was gloomy at best, all the paintings created were yellow, as if the sun was shining brightly, injecting new life into the atmosphere and spreading positivity to everyone. We were so moved by the uplifting colors, messages and circumstances around the work!
We proceeded to design a tea blend using longevity fruit, tangerine peel and lemongrass. Longevity fruit is a traditional healing herb that imparts a natural sweetness, while the warming tangerine peel and uplifting aroma of lemongrass echo the spirits of the story and color of the artwork. This tea blend was launched at the Le Cirque De La Vie Auction Soiree at the Palo Alto Art Center in 2015.
Up Up And Away Canisters and Tea Blend
The second piece of artwork that we selected was “Up Up & Away”, created with watercolor and salt together by artist Davina Moussa and Amaey at the Redwood City Art Center. Davina is a Clinical Operations professional and volunteer at Kids & Art. Amaey, also lovingly called Amaeyzing Amaey, was a participant who was diagnosed with ALL at the age of 3 and fought through two relapses until he was 9 years old. Working with Amaey’s creation was a magical process and we began to understand a little better why he is so loved!
This art piece “balloons” has a striking violet background with rising orange balloons, sending forth joyous, carefree and innocent childhood wonderment. One can sense a desire to keep the spirits high as well as to let go of life impediments and unwanted emotions. When looked closely, this piece contains details that suggest the presence of guardian angels that can fulfill one’s spiritual needs.
We ended up picking the bluish purple lavender flowers as the base for this tea blend and the reddish brown galangal root to complement it. Both are soothing and heartwarming with lots of healing properties, radiating joy and hope just like the artwork. The hint of spice in the galangal root is complemented with the pleasant grass notes of loquat leaf and common verbena, imparting the infusion with a fine and balanced bouquet. This tea blend was launched at the Giving Tuesday Fundraising event at Cambria Gallery in 2017.
Fabula Tea Products
Both custom tea blends have been very well received among the Kids & Art community as well as the greater tea community we met in different places. We feel so honored to be able to bring such an impactful organization into our lives and creative processes. We are always eager to contribute and be part of Kids & Art’s ventures whenever we can. Throughout the past 4 years, we are proud to have given tea tastings to the Kids & Art Community during the two tea launches, as well as at the End of Season Party at Sanchez Art Center in 2016.
Kids & Art Volunteer Appreciation Tea Ceremony
The opportunity to do a tea ceremony came when we were invited to the Volunteer Appreciation event for Kids & Art in 2017. As the volunteers at Kids & Art have given so much throughout the season, our intention was to design a tea ceremony that allowed all attendees to have a moment to pause, ground and own their inner space. During the event, we led a meditation over a tea ceremony to reinvigorate, recharge and nourish everyone. As personal self-care is sometimes neglected, we believe the meditative tea ceremony would serve the volunteers well as they prepare for the new year.
We feel really blessed that the collaboration has flourished and continued to grow strongly. We have learned so much and gained newfound respect for everyone involved in Kids & Art throughout the process. We look forward to conjuring up more custom tea blends and tea experiences together with the Kids & Art community!
Kids & Art Foundation is thankful to have a vast community of artists who create with us. Our artists share their passion for art and their commitment to make the world a better place. Without them we cannot heal pediatric cancer through art.
If you believe in the healing power of artists then please support our artist stipends with your donations and corporate matching. All donations are 100% tax deductible and our EIN is 27-1415727
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