Puravida Peartree: Connection Through Creativity
The Puravida Peartree workshop is a week long exploration of movement and creativity spanning a wide range of creative pursuits including raw desert making with Emily Aumiller of Lael Cakes, floral arranging workshops with myself + Sarah Blasi from Selva Floral, jungle foraging, book making + botanical illustrations with artist Scott Whipkey, alongside Nosara’s core activities of yoga and surfing. Last November, our second Puravida Peartree workshop took place, combining moving and making, nature marveling, and human connection.
Our students were able to experiment with locally-sourced Costa Rican product, along with local fruits and foraged materials to create tropical floral arrangements with a loose, whimsical flair. We had fun styling each student’s pieces, collaborating and taking photos so that each student could go home with a portfolio of his or her own work. With each creative journey from flowers to desserts, we slowed down the process to enjoy each step, not just the final product.
Our week culminated with a beautiful styled Tico dinner at the Harmony’s Restaurant that brought together all the creative courses from the week. We divided the group into teams to work on portions of the evening’s decor. Some people worked on decorating cakes. Others began work on the table’s flowers and the overhead tropical floral installation. Others drew unique place cards with whimsical botanical illustrations on them.
We rotated throughout the day so everyone could touch all parts of the design that interested them. Teachers stepped out of their disciplines to work in new spaces. My favorite part of the evening was when everyone interacted with the decor. It eliminated the museum-like quality of styled events and instead got to the core of the workshop’s motivation: creating for ourselves and finding connection through creativity. The students at last year’s Puravida Peartree were each creating for their own sakes, for their own enrichment and enjoyment. But the collaborations are what elevated each of us, myself included, and the results were beyond my expectations.
Our third installment is coming up November 3-9 back at the Harmony Hotel and I can’t wait to see what we create together this year. There are still a few spots open if you’d like to join us.
All photos by Heather Waraksa
Liza Lubell is the owner/founder of Peartree Flowers in New York City.
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