Anna Georghiou’s creative journey is a mesmerizing blend of artistry, intuition, and spirituality, as she shared in her recent interview with MysticMag.
In her paintings, she draws inspiration from the intricate relationships found in nature and human connections, weaving together themes of light, color, and emotion. Her process is deeply intuitive, allowing her to trust the unpredictable evolution of her work, much like navigating life itself.
Anna’s artistry extends beyond the canvas, harmonizing with her music and holistic practices to create a unified vision that celebrates creativity, healing, and the beauty of transformation.
What inspires the timeless and visionary themes in your paintings?
Relationships. They are a constant source of inspiration for me. I am captivated by the relationships between color and shape, the interplay of light and shadow in nature, and the movement of light on water. For example, seeing the sun transform the sea into a golden hue from a distance is deeply inspiring. These intricate relationships between elements like color and form mirror the tenderness, compassion, and mystery of human relationships. Life’s esoteric and enigmatic nature also drives my work, sparking my curiosity about how people support and connect with one another.
When I begin a painting, I don’t start with a specific idea or theme. My process is intuitive and organic. Often, I clean my brushes on a fresh canvas while working on another painting. Random marks appear, and I refer to this stage as “looking into and bringing out.” I observe what emerges—perhaps a shape or figure—and let the painting guide me. For instance, if I see a foot on the canvas, I’ll paint it in without knowing its larger context. It’s an act of trust, much like life itself, where the bigger picture is often unclear, but we move forward with faith.
This approach leads to an evolving narrative within my paintings. Figures, relationships, and scenes emerge naturally, resolving themselves over time. Feelings and moods also shape the work, creating a meditative process where I lose myself for hours, entering a different level of awareness. This creative space connects me to an inner vision or message waiting to be expressed. As an idealist, my work often reflects how I believe things could be.
My paintings grow and transform alongside my personal journey. As I develop and change, so do my experiences, and my art evolves with me—both progressing hand in hand. I studied art up to a master’s level, but early in my career, I chose to break free from traditional constraints. I wanted my work to be joyful and unrestricted, not bound by academic rules. Artists like Marc Chagall, Vincent van Gogh, J.M.W. Turner, Leonardo da Vinci, and Salvador Dalí inspired me to embrace this freedom. Why shouldn’t I depict a giant figure beside a tiny one or paint a green cow? Letting go of standardized ideas about perspective and rules has been liberating, allowing me to create work that truly reflects my vision.
How does your music with Troubadour’s Garden complement your visual art?
Music and painting are deeply interconnected in my practice, coming from the same creative source but expressed through different mediums. Both art forms create spaces for stories, rhythms, and messages to emerge, each in their own unique way. Music brings sound, vibrations, and frequencies, while painting brings color, shapes, and visual rhythm. Together, they complement and enrich each other, opening up possibilities that neither could achieve alone.
Music has the ability to evoke feelings and atmospheres that can inspire my visual art, and vice versa. For example, music might open up emotions or ideas that painting cannot, just as painting might reveal something that sound cannot convey. When I create, I tune into the frequencies—whether of color on a canvas or sound in a melody—and work to bring them into harmony. This tuning process is a way of balancing and connecting with the creative energy of both mediums.
An example of this came during a performance in Catalonia with Troubadour’s Garden. The land there had a unique energy, and when I played my flute, it initially felt out of tune. I realized I needed to tune myself and my instrument to the environment, and once I did, everything flowed naturally. This same principle applies to my visual art—I adjust and adapt to the environment, mood, or message that want to come through.
Working with Troubadour’s Garden is a collaborative and inspiring process. Co-founder of the Okehampton acoustic club, Phil Bird, writes the songs, often drawing inspiration from dreams, events, or profound experiences. He is a poet and visionary, and I love helping him bring his ideas to life by adding mood, atmosphere, and energy to his music. Together, we tell stories through sound and song, while my visual art provides a parallel expression of those same urges of heart, soul, and spirit.
Ultimately, music and painting are two sides of the same coin in my creative life. They inform and influence each other, weaving together to create a richer, more holistic expression of the world as I experience it.
Can you share how holistic therapies influence your creative work?
Thank you for this thoughtful question. My journey through various disciplines—painting, psychology, philosophy, music, and holistic therapies—has deeply influenced my creative work. I’ve been practicing as a therapist for nine years, and this has provided a solid professional grounding that complements my artistic pursuits.
Each subject I’ve studied has added a new layer to my understanding of life and creativity. My background in academia and research, paired with my artistic and intuitive experiences, has helped me explore metaphors and energy in a profound way. For example, my physical vision seems to shift when working with clients; I may see pathways of light, shadowed areas on the body, or even energy fields in nature, such as the mountains, trees, and birds silhouetted against the sky.
One pivotal moment occurred years ago, long before I understood the concept of chakras. During a modeling session for a sculptor at the Cyprus College of Art, I noticed beams of light emanating from people’s heads—some tall, others short. At the time, I didn’t know what I was witnessing. Later, through my study of complementary therapies, I realized I had been perceiving the crown chakra. This realization helped me connect my artistic vision with the energy and layers of existence I now understand more deeply.
My training in holistic therapies has given me a richer perspective on the magnetic biofield, meridians, and chakras, expanding my understanding of the body and life beyond what we can physically see. This knowledge is now influencing my paintings, as I incorporate these energetic dimensions into my work. I feel confident about including elements like the crown chakra in my art because I’ve seen and experienced them—they are authentic to me.
As I continue to work with clients and explore the layers of existence through holistic therapies, these experiences will naturally find their way into my paintings. My future work will aim to depict these extra dimensions of being, visually expressing the unseen energies and connections that shape our reality. This integration of holistic insights into my art is both a personal and creative evolution, offering viewers a glimpse into these deeper layers of existence.
What role does spirituality play in your artistic and musical journey?
Spirituality is a guiding force in my life and deeply influences my artistic and musical journey. Alongside light and esoteric reading, it shapes how I perceive and express the world. Although I’ve been called a “lightworker” on several occasions—a term I wouldn’t personally use to describe myself—it does resonate in some ways. Especially in times when humanity faces immense challenges, I see the role of artists, lightworkers, healers, teachers, and communicators as essential. We have the opportunity to share a different way of being with those drawn to our work, showing them that alternative paths exist, that we don’t have to stay stuck in outdated ways of living.
I believe we all carry something within us that is worth sharing. People have the potential to break free from old patterns and transform. That popular phrase, “Keep calm and carry on,” often printed everywhere in the UK, reflects an outdated mindset of simply enduring. I prefer a more transformative perspective: “Keep calm and create change.”
Spirituality, along with experiences of meditation, grief, pain, loss, fear, and love, has fostered in me a deep empathy for humanity. This includes both a sadness for how people often behave and how many have been taught or programmed to act. I feel sorrow for how humans treat each other and for the devaluation of life itself. Old constructs like the rat race and dog-eat-dog competition have fueled greed, fear, and anger, creating a metaphorical monster that seems insatiable.
However, art, music, and spirituality offer a way to step outside this world. While it’s important to maintain a balance—keeping one foot in the material world—they allow us to step in and out, bringing light, love, and healing. I hope that my work in music and painting provides moments of transport, support, or a doorway to something more profound.
Through my creative and therapeutic practices, I aim to express nurturing love and beauty. Whether through a song, a canvas, or a healing session, I strive to create something that uplifts and connects. Spirituality is the thread that ties all these elements together, offering both myself and others a glimpse of hope and transformation.
How did the ASHCA School come to life, and what makes its courses unique?
Thank you, Luka. That’s another thoughtful question. ASHCA is still very new; we’re at the beginning of our journey. However, the idea for an alternative school came to me many years ago when I was at university. I never quite fit into mainstream education or its systems, partly because I’m dyslexic and partly because the environment wasn’t very creative, at least not in the UK where I studied.
I pursued psychology, philosophy, and art at both degree and master’s levels. Later, I became a tutor at the Cyprus College of Art for three years. This experience gave me valuable insight into how a small, independent art college could operate. Upon returning to the UK, I initiated creative and educational projects across schools, colleges, and festivals, working with diverse groups of people ranging in age from 17 to 90, including those with mental health challenges and learning disabilities.
These community projects were pivotal in shaping my development toward founding ASHCA. For example, I started the Okehampton Acoustic Club, where musicians could gather, share, and play music, fostering a sense of community. I also initiated Okehampton Community Wellbeing for All, a project that provides access to complementary therapies on a donation basis or free at the point of access, operating from our local medical centre. Friends and fellow therapists Eve and Christina were instrumental in launching this initiative in 2018. During the lockdown, we extended the service online, offering weekly Reiki meditation and sound group sessions.
ASHCA is my newest project, offering courses designed to inspire imagination, nurture spirit, and foster growth. I believe that any project born from passion, insight, and evolving knowledge is inherently unique, and ASHCA is no exception. It’s the culmination of my personal journey, and since everyone’s journey is unique, the school reflects this individuality.
ASHCA offers a variety of courses, including Reiki, reflexology, and essential oils workshops, as well as longer programs that combine visual arts, music, and complementary therapies. The feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive, with many noting how the courses have enriched their personal growth and allowed them to incorporate what they’ve learned into their everyday lives—whether they are prison wardens, businesspeople, or creatives.
At ASHCA, our mission is to nurture individuals, spirits, and creativity. We aim to support the growth of imagination, help people discover new aspects of themselves, and provide spaces where exploration, discovery, and healing can thrive. By valuing often neglected parts of ourselves, we encourage freedom and growth.
This is what makes ASHCA special: its commitment to fostering creativity and imagination while supporting people as they move forward or open to new possibilities within themselves.
What advice would you give to someone seeking to integrate art and healing in their life?
The advice I would give is to allow yourself the space, time, and opportunity to follow what you feel naturally drawn to. Value and trust your vision, and have faith in yourself and your process. Life is not without its challenges—sadness, grief, and fear are part of us. These emotions shape our experiences and often inform the work we do in unique and profound ways.
While we may carry these feelings with us, they enable us to create and connect. Over time, we learn to overcome or live with them, and this process becomes part of our story and our art. Life may not always follow a clear path, but like a painting or puzzle, the pieces often come together in unexpected and beautiful ways.
You may not have endless resources or money to spend on the material trappings of modern society, but what you gain is something far richer. You grow, and at some point, the different elements of art, healing, and life experience align to form a cohesive whole. When this happens, it feels like a new beginning—almost like another life—where you’re not only able to support and encourage others on their journey but also continue to grow yourself.
Surround yourself with good friends, supportive teachers, loved ones, and a few trusted individuals who uplift you. Feel the love in what you do. Let yourself experience compassion, joy, and excitement. These emotions, alongside your own struggles—your pain, grief, and personal challenges—can act as powerful catalysts for healing and creativity.
Grief, fear, and sadness may never completely go away, but they can coexist with happiness. Through alchemy, you can transform or transmute those energies into creative and healing strength. Some might even say you can turn these challenges into your superpower, using them as a force for change in your life and the lives of others.
Find out more at: www.artannageorghiou.info
