Joana Velu


artist, she/her, NL/BR, based in Amsterdam, curious how people observe themselves and the world they are part of.

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    WORKSHOP: INTUITIVE DRAWING



    Reconnect with your intuition and creativity through drawing, movement, and shared exploration.



    Friday 19 December 2025
    13:30 - 16:30

    Artist studio
    Zamenhofstraat 108 - Unit 104
    Amsterdam-Noord

    Introduction:

    In this workshop, you’ll tune in your body and let your inner experience shape your drawings. There is no plan, no image to aim for, no goal to achieve.

    The exercises invite you to follow what unfolds, guided by curiosity and sensation. You’ll also draw together and engage in a visual dialogue on paper. Afterwards, you will share your drawings and personal experiences with each other, giving words to nonverbal expression and revealing where perspectives differ and resonate.  


    What to expect:

    • Presence in your body: light exercises, breath and simple movement to arrive in the moment.
    • Intuitive expression: drawing led by sensation and curiosity rathen than outcome. 
    • Awareness in connection: noticing how your expression shifts in relation to others, and how you influence as well as are influenced
    • Creating together: participating in a collective drawing, attuning to a shared flow and presence as a group.
    • Reflecting: sharing personal experiences, putting words to nonverbal expression, and noticing where perspectives resonate and differ. 

    What it can offer you:

    • Reconnect with yourself: tune into your body, senses, and present experience. 
    • Express yourself: explore your inner world through drawing and uncover new ways to communicate.
    • Meet resistance: notice discomfort or blocks and learn to trust your intuition.
    • Access creativity and play: feel freer, make without judgement and open up to imagination.
    • Regulate and relax: support your nervous system and reduce stress through the creative process. 
    • Connect with others: cultivate deep listening, empathy and mutual awareness
    • Create collectively: experience the joy that arises when making together!




    For whom?

     Everyone is creative! This workshop is for those who identify with their creativity and for those who wish to reconnect with it. No prior experience is needed, as long as you are open to engage with drawing, movement, play and with each other. All are welcome, regardless of gender, race, nationality, sexual orientation, or religion.


    Facilitator:

    Joana Velu is a visual artist, producer and facilitator in the contemporary art sector and higher art education.

    She was raised between the Netherlands and Brazil and has a background in Cultural Studies and Fine Arts. She currently works at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie as Project Manager of Urgent Ecologies and Personal Assistant of the Director Bachelor Education.

    For seven years now, Joana has had training in Zen-meditation, Kashmir-yoga, breath- and singing techniques and chi cong with Zen Master Carolina Ko-Ran de Ruiter (Zen-Zang Sangha). In 2024 she received a six-months scholarship for an embodiment training at BodyHouse - Centre of Oneness, where she is still involved. In the same year she completed the Level 1 and 2 training of Lewis Deep Democracy, a group facilitation method used to acess and bring out wisdom already present within a group. She also has experience assisting classical tantra trainings at the House of Being.

    Feel free to browse this website to get a better picture of her artistic practice and more CV details on LinkedIn
    Practical information

    When

    Friday 19 December 2025
    13:30 - 16:30

    The doors are open from 13:10 onwards for you to land in the space and have a tea.
    Please be on time to honor the group starting together and not be interupted.

    Location
    Artist studio
    Zamenhofstraat 108 - Unit 104
    Amsterdam-Noord

    The location is 15 min. walk from the metrostation Noorderpark and 4 min. from the east-ferry (hence, not the  one from central station, but the F1 Azartplein - Zamenhofstraat)
    It is also easily reachable by car, with parking available on the street (€1,70/h).
    There is an elevator in the building to access the first floor.

    Investment

    €45,80
    Includes material (paper, including hand-made sheets, charcaol, pencils, black ink and (caligraphy) brushes), tea and snacks

    Group

    The workshop will consist of a small, intimate group with up to 7 participants.

    Recommended

    Wear comfortable clothes. We are not really getting messy, though better to avoid clothes you are very careful about. We are going to move around without shoes, so bring warm socks or at least ones without holes in them .

    We are going to sit on cushions on the floor, but there are chairs available when needed. Feel free to bring your own (meditation) cushion as well.

    Accesibility and Participation

     This workshop strives to be as accessible and welcoming as possible. If you have concerns about participating due to physical or cognitive conditions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  

    Listen to your body and your needs: you can always choose your level of intensity. Try to stay engaged throughout the experience, also when you choose to lower intensity.

    You are expected to indicate your boundaries and respect those of others.

    Sign up

    You can sign up here!
    For questions you can e-mail: velu.joana@gmail.com