"Let me keep my distance, always, from those who think they have the answers. Let me keep company always with those who say “Look!” and laugh in astonishment, and bow their heads. “
- Mary Oliver
Hi, I’m Lies
ARTIST - DOULA & COMMUNITY BUILDER
Centered around imagination, be/longing, compassionate communities, and the impermanence of life
A friend once called me 'fairy of the dark,' and it's fair to say that it captures the essence of who I am quite well. Throughout all my work, I endeavor to create sanctuaries where the shadows of our being can find solace. My art and work are a playground and an invitation to question our realities and open up to the invisible world around us, forging deeper connections with life, death, and the landscapes we navigate. I deeply believe in community, the natural world, story, poetry and imagination to offer insights into the human experience. They carry ancestral heritage and remind us that pain and loss are not merely obstacles to overcome but essential rites of passage that enrich our humanity and deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world we inhabit. By reintegrating this heritage, we can cultivate a culture rooted in empathy and compassion, where we hold space for one another with acceptance, in honor for all shades and rhythms of life.
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I am a poet at heart. The raw, the exiled, and the inexplicable weave me into the mytho-poetic fabric that connects us to the magic of this world.
No matter the medium, I strive to create experiences that remind us of the delicate balance between sanity and the touch of madness that compels us to choose life, deepening our engagement with its wonder and beauty.
Through my work, I want to leave doors ajar so that people might feel curious to explore beyond the known and the visible. It’s about reminding us of the countless possibilities and encounters that unfold when magic is allowed back in
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"Anything you do from the soulful self will help lighten the burdens of the world. Anything. You have no idea what the smallest word, the tiniest generosity, can cause to be set in motion... Mend the part of the world that is within your reach." — Clarissa Pinkola Estes
I am deeply committed to providing care at life’s most profound thresholds, offering support through challenging times, life crises, and end-of-life transitions. I completed my foundational training as a grief and death doula and am continually deepening my expertise through ongoing education. Currently, I am pursuing advanced death and grief doula training in the UK, alongside volunteering in hospice settings and providing palliative home care in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Beyond direct care, I facilitate gatherings. Within the Shadow Hive circles, we connect over topics such as depression, burnout, anxiety, high sensitivity, and mental health. Similarly, the Death Magic circles explore topics like death and dying, funeral planning, the afterlife, paranormal experiences, near-death experiences, and more.
Additionally, I offer immersive ritual experiences. Living funerals to facilitate confrontation with mortality, death anxiety or curiosity, and life struggles. Grief ceremonies for expressing grief and tending to our wounds in a supportive environment.
Through the Art of Spaceholding course, I teach the essential skills needed to create and maintain these vulnerable environments, ensuring that every individual feels welcome and valued while navigating life's complexities.
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In a world where many aspects of life have become medicalised, I strive to return to the communal aspect of care. While medical interventions are essential for immediate concerns, ongoing support and care come from a strong community. By building compassionate environments, we can reduce the pressure on the medical system and reintegrate all phases of life—including those marked by hardship—into our collective experience. This perspective helps us view challenging times as meaningful initiations to be honoured and supported together, rather than defaults that isolate us and need solving before we are worthy of participating again.
Enough about me -
I’m curious about you
Let’s meet and make magic