Yoga & My Art

What’s with all the yogic iconography in these pieces? Mandela’s & Chakras

In 2014, nearly two decades after I started practicing, I got my yoga teacher certification and it changed me. It gave me a language and a clarity for life - as well as a framework for self-actualizition.

Self Actualization just being a fancy way of learning how to be happy.

The 8-fold path - align your life with values and good habits (yama, niyamas) - keep your body healthy (asana), breathe (pranayama), and get control of you mind and by extension reality.

I am so grateful and in love with yoga. I didn’t grow up with money .I come from working-class, grinders. My kind of people think yoga is for hippy dippy, yuppy, fancy weirdos.

These days, thought I think hippy, dippy, yuppy, fancy, and weird is just code for being happy. Who doesn’t like being happy? Kickstarter Catalogue

Mindful Objects for Fierce Transformation

Thank You! For checking out my Kickstarter and the launch of this business, I really appreciate it. My goal is to create meaningful totems that will connect and empower people to their truth and help them live a life less ordinary.

The Story Behind the Mama Bear Totem2016 sucked. I was watching the way women were treated in the news and media - and I felt as the kids say “triggered.”

For pretty much my entire life I have sucked up “TIGHTROPE” feedback - you may know it by other names like the double bind, gaslighting, or just know it as the tension between being seen as a bitch or a pushover -- a harpy or cream puff. My latest written review literally said I both “lacked confidence” and cited me for being “difficult” - be-cause apparently I wasn’t “nice enough” when keeping folks in compliance.

It was 2016 for f-s sake! How was this still a thing! So I mediated, which is what I do when my blood gets hot and like Uma I know better than to speak when angry. I asked the question of the universe.

“What kind of woman has permission to be strong?”

The answer came to me from nature - lionesses and mama bears. Shortly after that I came across Adam Grant’s book “Give and Take” and he articulated much of what I felt in the idea of “agency.” I almost jumped out of my skin, he put into words the EXACT experiences. I always found myself motivated by being “nice” - I thought I was weird - but apparently according to legit research - it’s not just me!

I also figured out that I needed to align with my “why” - I’m a shitty advocate for my wants, but am an awesome advocate for my teammates and friends. In short, I was

A freaking mama bear!!

But my story doesn’t end there. After a lot of research, I realized what I needed was to stay connected with who I was and I thought about creating a physical artifact to do just that. More over, I wanted to give folks a fair warning about who I was. Like masonic rings or “live strong” bracelets - these tokens are meant to symbolize my connection to my purpose.

This Kickstarter is to bring to life totems, talismen, and charms to remind the wearer of their truth, their purpose, and to own their power. They are a sign for the faithful, kind and fierce to connect and find each other.

These tokens are meant to begin a conversation, to open hearts and minds and give us all permission to shine! I hope you like them, I hope they give you peace and courage to be an amazing you!

Namaste,Heather C. Ingram

Mama Bear

Sunburst Mama BearThis is one of my first designs. It is in the style of a sunburst and is essentially a reminder to shine! The line art aesthetic is strongly influ-enced by my own mother’s art. I grew up watching her sketch all the time. I was always especially jealous of her amazingly intricate designs on Easter Eggs. Sorry this was in the 80s before iphones so no sadly there are no picts other than the ones in my head.

It is fitting that my first design pays homage to my own mama bear.

Cut Copper, Glass enameled (white opaque with laser etching front - trans-lucent back),

Retail: $75Kickstarter: $50

Top - Copper glass enameled prototypeBottom - Sunburst Bear Design

My gorgeous (inside and out) friend, Kadisha at Busboys and Poets - Shirlington - wearing an early Mama Bear pendant (23”chain) November 2017

Universe Mandala Mama BearI love mandalas. I love the geometry. I love the repeating patterns. I love the simplicity and the elegance. This design reminds me of the stars, and planets - and the amazing energy of the universe.

It’s perfect for those of you who want to get aligned with universal energy.

Cut Copper, Glass enameled (white front - translucent back), Laser Etching front

Retail: $75Kickstarter: $50

Above: Mandala Mama Bear Design (top) - Mandala Bear Prototype (bottom)

From Idea to Sketch to PrototypeIt started with an idea. Which lead to looking at every single picture I could find for mama bears on Google, Pinterest, Etsy etc. Spoiler alert there are a lot! Working with my community of DC area artists, I eventually landed on the above design which turned into the prototypes in wood and enameled cooper (on the left)

Custom Chakra Color Etching Into a particular chakra?

At least once a week I mediate on my chakras. I listen to my body scanning from the bottom up. I give gratitude for my family, my health, creativity, sense of self, love, voice, intuition and my connection to the divine. Often just scanning my body let’s me know where I need more balance and love.

Retail: $100 ($75 + $25 Customization)Kickstarter: $75 ($50 + 25 Customi-zation)

Above: Mama Bear in Copper with the back enameled in Orange with Sacral Chakra (second from left below)

Yoga & My ArtYou may wonder why there is so much yogic “stuff” here. Yoga is one way I access truth, universal energy, creativity and happiness.

If you haven’t heard, the 8-fold path is basically a 2,000 year old primer for learning how to be happy. Seriously, they figured out the secret to life 2,000 years ago! Yoga helps me align my life with my values and good habits, keep my body healthy and help me get control of my monkey brain and by extension my reality.

I am so grateful and in love with yoga and naturally it comes out in my work.

I didn’t grow up with money. I come from working-class folks who still believe in the grind. To be honest, my kind of people think yoga is for hippy dippy, yuppy, fancy pants weirdos. That’s cool. Hippy, dippy, yuppy, fancy, and weird is just code for being happy.

Happy = Art = Love = Flow

We all deserve our own happy

Fierce & Kind

F_____ the tightrope.

Many of us have experienced the “tightrope dilemma”, aka the “double bind.” It comes from a place where we feel dis-empowered. Give yourself permission to refuse to choose between “either, or “ Instead opt of the “both and.”

This is especially true for Art. Creativity is about joining, connecting ideas, people, pro-cesses, applying a solution from one place to another. Creativity is about diverging and converging on the way to create the new and wonderful. People who narrowly define their reality (and others), mistakenly confusing limits and constraints with control and power. They work to keep others in their place, to stay in their lane.

If mama bears have taught us anything it is we are all capable of being both fierce and kind. This works both ways -- as we evolve as a society -- as women are empowered to be more assertive -- men are empowered to tap into their empathy, as designers and leaders. We can all be strong without being jerks, powerful not by putting anyone else down, rather we gain power by lifting others up.

The truth is I am both, fierce and kind. Sometimes that makes me scary to others and I have to remember there are good reason people are threatened by mama bears. But my purpose isn’t to be cute and cuddly to folks who mess with my baby bear.

Roar.

Above: Detail for fiercely kind pendants Devanagari Script (top) and English Alphabet (bottom) Actual Size = 2-inches Wide.

Fierce Kindness Pendant

Utkata is sanskrit for fierce & Ahimsa is one of the Yamas that is often translated as “kindness” or “non-violence”. It is statement piece about balance. I like the phrase because I was tired of walking a tightrope, trying to be both polite and non threatening to some, and assertive and confident to others. What I was losing in this circus act was my authenticity, not to mention wasting a lot of mental and emotional energy in the process. Next time you feel yourself getting pulled into the vortex of others expectations let this totem keep you aligned with your truth.

Hand polished Cast Silver Pendant & Chain

Retail: $80Kickstarter: $50

Above: Pendant prototype laser cut walnut* (Final piece will be cast in silver) *my sketchbook not included

Custom PiecesEver wanted to take your idea and make it a reality? Thinking about creating a statement piece for your clients, coworkers, or family?

We can start with a conversation, an idea or a sketch and make it into reality and come up with a least three concepts for which you can choose. You’ll come away with at least one sample cast in silver. Note the size is limited to “reasonable” jewelry size subject to my discretion (i.e. not Volkswagen sized jewelry).

You’ll be given all the files and a step-by-step roadmap and vendors to replicate and scale additional versions of your piece.

Early Bird - $500 | Regular $750

TanksT-Shirts

Totes

Canvas tote bag

Use it for groceries, or errands, or library books. I use mine for my laptop or gym clothes, or a change of clothes after yoga - because yes I’m pretending I am not one of those people who lives in their yoga pants.

Mmm yoga pants.

Canvas Tote - Mama Bear imprinted with Utkata Ahimsa (in Devanagari Script). “Here Me Roar” under.

Retail: $30Kickstarter: $22

Tank Tops or T-ShirtsYou have your choice between a grey, white or pink burnout tank. T-Shirts come in Light (white) or Dark (Black) Shine your heart forward in this fun tanks and tees. Set your intention for what you can do and who you can help.

Retail: $30Kickstarter: $25

Thank YouThank you to Erin and Elmharris designs for mentoring me. To all the amazing people in my life who inspire me. My teammates who remind me what fierce is Zubes, Mary, Tucker, Stacey, Kuhf, Sussman. Thank you to the amazing artists and makers I have

met over the past year, Gillian, Janelle, Martin and Olivia. Thank you, to the ladies who keep me grounded and hold me accountabile Ilana, Spencer, Jeeyoung. Thank you to my yogis Beth, Txu, Erin, Meredyth, Rosmary, Christina, Jane and Olivia. Thanks

to my family my love for you, helps me love others - you are my baby bear, my why. Thank you to my professors and all the brilliant minds that have have been beating the drum for fairness, collaboration, mindfulness, and the power of behavioral econ and creativity thank you Keith, Fiona, Ben, Barry, Sigal, Victor and Sharon. Thanks to

all the authors lighting the way, it’s not always easy or fun to be the first (or second or third) to say something. Thank you Brene, Liz, Angela, Adam, Adam, Reshma, Simon,

Jen, Bill, Austin, Todd, Stephen. Thank you to all the female leaders, in business and politics for marching on!

You are mothers one and all. Thank you!

Finally a sincere thank you to the regressives, misogynists, jerks and worse. Nothing is more energizing than being told it can’t be done by a numbnut.