Weaving Together Art and Wellbeing with Kasvi
Almēda shares the inspiration behind Kasvi’s packaging
A lot of people ask us about our striking Kasvi packaging and where and how the designs originated. In fact, our Kasvi packaging is inspired by an art piece in Stacy’s home.
Stacy said her thought process was that by making the packaging beautiful and inspired by original art, "Everyone can have a piece of artwork on their counter, and enjoy it every day.”
Stacy says that experiencing and processing this particular piece of art has helped her many times over the years. It’s mix of warm, rich tones and dramatic expressions of movement through light and dark spaces guide her to experience and process her deep emotional state. It’s soothing for her to contemplate.
She said, "It has helped me when experiencing challenging times. There's a sense of peace that comes with it for me."
As a nurse, and especially as someone who looks at things holistically, Stacy knows how important art therapy can be for people struggling with difficult times or strong emotions that are hard to express.
So, she said, "We really wanted to weave a bit of art therapy into all of our packaging."
Many people find a sense of emotional freedom when looking at or creating art, as imagery can sometimes convey what we feel without needing to find the right words to express these sometimes previously unconscious feelings.
Researchers have looked at how patients in hospitals might benefit from experiencing art, for example. One study found that art, “contributes to creating an environment and atmosphere where patients can feel safe, socialize, maintain a connection to the world outside the hospital, and support their identity.” It also concluded that, “the presence of visual art in hospitals contributes to health outcomes by improving patient satisfaction as an extended form of health care.”
Art therapy encourages deep introspection and self-expression
Officially, the field of art therapy pairs other forms of treatment, such as talk therapy with a trained professional, with an individual. A creative process is used to elicit a person’s inner world, and by making this implicit state explicit, the individual and the therapist work together to bring resolution to psychological problems.
Almēda is an ardent supporter of the mental health field, and wants everyone to find ways to explore emotions, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem. We stand for the pursuit of sustainable and holistic health and well-being.
Our current charitable giving campaign (10% to Charity of Choice) highlights organizations particularly supporting mental health. To address systemic societal issues related to mental health, we recommend donating to these organizations we support:
We support these organizations looking at acute issues of mental health and domestic violence at all times, but especially during the COVID19 pandemic and the related effects of shelter-in-place restrictions, social distancing and isolation. (Or, when you buy our products, you can choose to give to the charity of your choice through the Givz platform, where more than 1.6M organizations are registered.)
Yin and Yang: Creating both masculine and feminine graphic designs
When the Almēda team met with a graphic designer about Kasvi, knowing they wanted to create something beautiful and inspired by art, they explored many options and settled on creating two designs. One design evokes the masculine side of the artwork, the other evokes the feminine side.
The reason for pulling masculine and feminine aspects of the painting into Kasvi Cacao and Kasvi Original designs was to honor the idea of balance. Masculine (Yang) and femine (Yin) energies each have inherent value, and we need both--in balance.
“The symbol of Yin and Yang is a key. We humans are, like the symbol, comprised of opposing forces. Masculine and feminine energies swirl within us in delicate balance. When we have too much of one energy or lack of another, we feel that imbalance. Action without wisdom or courage without patience, the lack of one energy shows itself immediately.”
-- Gaia.com
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the concepts of Yin and Yang serve as the foundation to understand health and diagnose and treat illness. Yin is considered to be negative, dark, and feminine. Yang is considered to be positive, bright, and masculine. TCM teaches that good health is thought to come from a balance of these energies.
Weaving balance throughout our packaging and products.
Almēda strives to help you find balance at the cellular level. We want you to experience deep health and learn to take stress in stride. And we believe that there is an art to learning and practicing holistic nutrition and the Almēda lifestyle.
When you receive our products, you’re also receiving an original design based on art that deeply moves us. If you feel a little lighter and a little more grateful when you reach for a package of Kasvi, then our packaging has served its purpose well. Our aim was to create packaging that enhances your mood and contributes something beautiful to your life.
At a minimum, we hope our packaging brightens your day. Stacy adds, “I hope we get a smile, at least!"
Art therapy and psychological tools to enhance wellbeing
If you are struggling or just want to learn more, here are some resources to explore art therapy in your life -- a way to locate art therapists, activities, exercises, and software tools.
American Art Therapy’s Art therapist locator
Positive Psychology’s 15 Art Therapy Activities, Exercises & Ideas for Children and Adults
Therapist Shelley Klammer’s collection of 100 Art Therapy Exercises
TheraNest’s list of Great Software Tools for Art Therapy