Innova Collective exists because we believe human beings are meant to create, connect, and grow together—not in isolation, not in age-segregated boxes, and not while sacrificing authenticity to fit conventional molds.

We're a community-centered space for spiritual seekers where creativity becomes a bridge between generations and backgrounds. Through expressive arts, mindful movement, creative writing, breathwork, soul circles, and more, we're cultivating the qualities our world needs most.

Our goal is to build heaven on earth, the social society we've dreamed of for ages and know in our hearts is possible.

Meet Esme - Founder & Executive Director

Esme's journey to founding Innova Collective began with five neurodivergent children and a growing frustration with cookie-cutter educational approaches that failed to honor their unique brilliance. As a devoted homeschooling parent, she witnessed firsthand how traditional instruction in music, dance, and creative arts—focused on duplicating rather than originating—was missing something essential.

What started as advocacy for her own children evolved into a deeper understanding: the very qualities her kids needed to develop—curiosity, creativity, authenticity, empathy—were exactly what her own heart was craving, and what our world desperately needs more of. She also knew we are not meant to pursue growth alone. We need community. We need consistent, meaningful connection.

Drawing from her background in holistic mental health and educational innovation, Esme has developed approaches that integrate mind, body, heart, and soul, and allow us to grow together. She has a gift for seeing the highest potential in every individual and group and holding that vision while they build the confidence to express it.

After seven years of this dream whispering in her ear, Esme finally listened. Innova Collective represents her commitment to creating the rich, nourishing environment she believes all humans need to thrive—regardless of age or life circumstances.

When she's not living the Innova dream, you can find Esme gardening, sunbathing, spaz dancing, hiking barefoot, treasure hunting at thrift stores, hot gluing a costume together for the next party, and/or giggling with friends.

Meet Your Amazing Teachers!

Genet Jones

writing ourselves home

Drawing from The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, this drop-in class will explore free-writing and focused writing exercises as windows into our healing, growth, and innate creativity. Expect both class-wide and small-group interaction in a judgment-free, heart-centered space.

Genet is an independent book editor, author coach, and writer. She believes that creativity is one of our most potent connections to the divine, and that because there is divinity in everyone, there is creativity in everyone. She loves seeing all kinds of people, from the "free spirit" to the analytical mind, develop their own unique spark and flavor of creative expression. Her own creative outlets (besides writing) have ranged from crochet and painting to home renovation.

Mindful Messes is a creative art class for kids and teens (ages 5+), where mindfulness meets making. Each session begins with a simple breathing, movement, or gratitude practice to help students feel calm and centered. Then we dive into fun, messy art projects like painting, collaging, coloring, and clay. Students leave each class with artwork they’re proud of and tools for finding peace in their everyday lives. Over the course of this session, we will create mandalas, dreamscapes, nature shapes, kindness collages, and magical still lifes. Lessons are crafted to capture the imagination of young children while offering depth and creative freedom for teens and adults. Together, we explore how art and mindfulness can be fun, messy, and meaningful.

Kava Ceremony & Social Meditation begins with a unique form of group mindfulness where participants gently speak aloud brief observations of their present-moment experience (“hearing,” “breathing,” “thinking,” etc.). This practice helps dissolve self-consciousness, deepens awareness, and fosters authentic presence with others. After meditation, we move into a kava ceremony and circle. Kava is a sacred root from the South Pacific, long used in ceremonial and communal gatherings. When prepared as a drink, it produces a natural sense of calm and clarity. Kava relaxes the body, while keeping the mind alert and open. Kava supports honest, heart-centered conversation and helps create a warm sense of connection among those who share it. Together, we honor the spirit of kava through mindful sipping, reflective sharing, and genuine dialogue in a welcoming space.

Cat’s journey as an artist began with childhood coloring contests in small-town Colorado, but her path took her far beyond those first sketches. In 2006, she was one of 40 students accepted into the fashion design program at Pratt Institute, later contributing to high-profile projects such as the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show wings, Broadway costumes, and film wardrobes. Though she eventually shifted her primary career to political journalism, Cat continues to create art in her “free” time—when she isn’t busy raising three kids, watering her billion plants, or playing with her five pets. She creates art and designs that blend empowering women, connecting with nature, and bolstering deep relationships with others and self.

Cat Paitsel

mindful messes: creating peace & art and Kava Ceremony & social meditation

Step into the gentle yet transformative practice of Qigong, an ancient Chinese system of movement, breath, and meditation designed to cultivate energy, reduce stress, and restore balance to body and mind. In this introductory course, you will learn foundational Qigong exercises that enhance vitality, improve posture, and support emotional well-being. Through guided movements, breathwork, and mindfulness practices, you will discover how to connect with your own energy, release tension, and create a sense of calm and clarity. Perfect for beginners and anyone seeking a holistic approach to wellness, this class invites you to experience the healing potential of Qigong in a welcoming, supportive community environment. No prior experience is needed--just a willingness to move, breathe, and explore.

Paul Moore Chaves is a Qigong teacher, healer, and storyteller with nearly 20 years of experience in the art of stillness in motion. Certified as a Medical Qigong Practitioner through the Healing Qi Institute in Los Angeles, Paul has guided students from all walks of life into deeper balance, vitality, and inner calm. His teaching emphasizes healing through mindful movement, energy cultivation, and the natural rhythm of breath--empowering students to restore health, regulate emotions, and awaken spiritual resilience.

Through online courses, workshops, and live festival presentations, Paul shares accessible, heart-centered practices that weave together his decades of study, his own healing journey, and his passion for helping others discover strength in softness. His work is supported by a library of digital Qigong courses, guided meditations, and companion e-books (How to Be a Grasshopper, Grasshopper Matures, and Grasshopper Mastered). Paul's approach is warm, grounded, and deeply intuitive, meeting students where they are while opening the door to transformation. Whether teaching in community spaces, online classrooms, or festival stages, he invites others to step onto the Grasshopper Path and discover the quiet power of Qigong.

Paul Moore Chaves

qi gong foundations: energy, breath, & balance

Join us for a transformative crystal sound bowl healing experience guided by deeply restorative energy-infused frequencies.

Before the sound journey begins, the space and instruments are energetically cleansed and infused with healing intention. The session opens with guided breathwork and a brief meditation to ground and center your awareness. From there, you'll be carried through an immersive sound journey featuring crystal singing bowls and bells, designed to harmonize your energy, release tension, and restore balance to mind, body, and spirit.

Allow the pure, vibrational tones to wash over you as you rest in a state of deep relaxation and receptivity. No experience necessary, just bring an open heart and a willingness to receive. You're also welcome to bring your own yoga mat, blanket, pillow, and water bottle.

Jacquelyn Mangham

Sacred sounds: a restorative sound bath

April Mietz

CIRCUS ARTS, HULA HOOPING, & NEW MOON INTENTION CIRCLE

Adult Hula Hooping: Spin, sweat, and stretch in this dynamic hula hoop class designed just for adults! We’ll combine fitness and flexibility training with hoop tricks, dance-inspired sequences, and plenty of playful movement. This class builds strength, coordination, and flow — all while having fun and learning new skills. No experience needed, hula hoops provided, get ready to move!

Family Circus Class: Bring the whole family together for a playful circus adventure! This class blends team-building games, partner acrobatics, juggling, and fun with props to inspire connection, cooperation, and creativity. Families will learn new skills, support one another, and most importantly — laugh and play together!

New Moon Intention Circle: The new moon marks a sacred time of beginnings — a quiet pause in the lunar cycle that invites reflection, renewal, and planting seeds for what we wish to grow. In this guided ceremony, we will explore how to work with the moon’s phases as a tool for self-awareness, manifestation, and alignment with natural rhythms. Through a short conversation, we’ll discuss the power of the lunar cycle — from the inward energy of the new moon to the fullness of completion at the full moon — and how tuning into these phases can support our personal and spiritual practices. Participants will then be guided through an intention-setting process, creating space to listen inwardly and clarify what you are ready to call into your life. We will close with a ritual practice that may include meditation, journaling, gentle movement, or symbolic offerings to anchor these intentions and honor the energy of the new moon. This ceremony is open to all — whether you are new to lunar practices or looking to deepen your connection. Come with an open heart, a journal, and a willingness to step into the mystery.

In Studio Art for the Soul, members will cultivate confidence in their unique creative voice while exploring projects that connect art to self-discovery. Working with media such as drawing, painting, collage, and mixed media, participants will take on both guided and open-ended projects designed to spark curiosity and personal growth.

Projects may include:

• Illustrating your “inner monster” to give form to emotions or challenges

• A split self-portrait study that blends realism with symbolism

• Modern Vanitas, which emphasizes the beauty and importance of everyday objects

• Currency reimagined—redesigning U.S. currency to honor remarkable women of history

• Nature-inspired works, drawing on plants, animals, and personal symbolism

Whether experimenting with new materials or diving into meaningful themes like identity, transformation, and resilience, students will leave with art that feels deeply authentic to who they are. No matter the experience level, this class is about growth, expression, and discovering the joy of making.

Cari is an artist, educator, and lifelong seeker of creative expression. After a childhood of living across the country and abroad, she settled in Arkansas as a young adult, where she tried a number of careers before completing her art degree. This allowed her to become an art educator--a role that filled her heart for seven years. Since then, she built a small art business from the ground up, designing stickers and greeting cards that bring joy to others while keeping her connected to daily creativity. Cari is passionate about helping others discover art as both a tool for self-discovery and heightened communication. Her own work has included multiple gallery exhibitions, including the Prisoner Portrait Project, put on by Compassion Works non-profit, as well as a portrait study series on gender bending, exhibited by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Beyond the classroom, Cari tends a thriving garden, meditates daily, journals without fail, and hunts for art and treasures in thrift stores far and wide. She lives with her husband, two teenagers (a son and daughter), a dog, and a cat—all of whom remind her each day of the humor and perfectness of a fully lived life.

Cari Williams

Studio art for the soul

Qoya is a movement practice that invites you to come home to yourself — body, mind, and spirit. It’s based on the simple idea that through movement, we remember. We remember that our essence is wise, wild, and free.

In a Qoya class, there’s no way to do it wrong and no need to perform. You’ll be guided through free movement, dance, yoga-inspired stretches, and rituals that awaken your intuition and open your heart. Each class weaves together music, intention, and self-expression to help you reconnect with your body’s truth and release what no longer serves you.

Every Qoya journey is both creative and deeply healing — a sacred space to explore, feel, and transform. You leave not only more grounded and open but also more you — radiant, alive, and in tune with your inner wisdom.

As both a teacher and a parent, Darla nurtures a world where imagination thrives and authenticity is the compass. Her children have grown up steeped in creative freedom, encouraged to explore life with open hearts and abundant expression. With years of experience across diverse settings—from schools to sanctuaries—Darla brings a spirit of play, reverence, and deep listening to every encounter. Her gift lies in helping others reconnect to the simple, powerful joy of being fully alive and fully themselves.

Darla Benedict

qoya: movement as medicine

At Innova, Rebekah leads a group class that explores the inner blocks that keep us from living authentically. Through guided reflection, community support, and mind-body practices, she helps participants release old patterns, embrace self-compassion, and step into their true selves.

Rebekah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is a licensed counselor who believes deeply in the mind-body-soul connection and the innate power within each person to heal. Her holistic approach is shaped by the work of Dr. Brené Brown and Dr. Gabor Maté. Like Brown, she emphasizes authenticity, courage, and community. Inspired by Maté, she integrates an understanding of trauma, stress, and how the body holds our stories—helping others reconnect to themselves with compassion and curiosity.

Rebekah believes in “walking the walk” as a therapist and living out the same practices she encourages in others. She is passionate about wellness and self-care, and finds renewal through hiking, kayaking, cold plunges, saunas, and spending time in nature. She also loves reading, journaling, running, and exploring new ways to grow—often dreaming of hosting a book study with her community.

Rebekah McDaniel

soul circle: releasing limiting beliefs & becoming your true self

This is an improv/freestyle dance and art form designed to embrace our grief and shadows. In a safe, non-confrontational way we begin allowing ourselves to see and feel that which we have rejected and embrace it in acceptance and non-judgment. We start with dancing and stretching, lifting the weight of expectations placed on us, followed by tapping and using sound to give birth to that which is usually held silent within us.

Though there can be discomfort in allowing yourself to bring to light that which is continually pushed away, there is empowerment in knowing it will change. The dance involves befriending and accepting what is ready to be released. At the end of our dance, we draw and color what was brought forth. This gives a visual representation of the work you have put in, furthering the acceptance you have created for yourself. We finalize in a circle for those who would like to share their experience.

Christina Moore walks in liminal spaces as a Certified Death Doula and intuitive healer, guiding others through the tender terrain of shadow work and grief. Born in New York to a Peruvian father and Dominican mother, Christina now makes her home in Arkansas with her husband, Richard, their four children, and two beloved pets, Onyx and Astra. She carries the creative roots of her family line: her Tío Victor taught her to draw, her Abuelo passed on his passion for singing, and her mother taught her to move with rhythm. A lifelong lover of dance, singing, tarot, rituals, dream interpretation, and all things witchy, Christina weaves art, movement, and ritual into her offerings. Christina brings her whole quirky self to her work. When she isn’t guiding others, she can be found reading, baking, crocheting, playing Scrabble, exploring new music, eating chocolate, or savoring the smell of rain. She believes it is the little things that ground us and remind us that life still carries beauty and renewal. Her presence invites others to find expression and to meet their loss with compassion and courage.

Christina Moore

dancing with grief & shadows

In Love Lab, we engage in an embodied exploration of love, intimacy, and sacred connection. Each session features a different teacher and topic, from tantra and sacred sexuality to Latin dance, soulful art-making, partner yoga, and beyond. We begin with a centering ceremony and intimate discussion circle, then dive into experiential learning together. If you've been together for years, this is an opportunity to deepen presence, dissolve old patterns, and rediscover each other with fresh eyes. If you're just beginning to explore together, this is your chance to embark on a journey of vulnerability and connection.

Healing the God Wound is a courageous discussion group for anyone ready to reclaim their relationship with the divine—on their own terms. This class is for anyone recovering from religion or atheism, or simply curious about what spirituality could look like without the baggage. Co-facilitators Rhy (former atheist, professional scientist) and Esme (high-demand religion survivor) bring distinct paths and real talk to guide this journey. This group isn't about converting you to anything, it's about finding what's true for you when you strip away dogma, shame, and someone else's rules. It's about merging the rational mind with the open heart.

Esme is a heart-centered, connection-oriented seeker who loves to ask deep questions, flail on the dance floor, sing the notes off the page, eat plants, and soak up sunshine. You can often find her pursuing silly adventures, delving into the cosmos through introspection and meditation, or seeking authentic, vulnerable connection with like-minded souls. Esme’s never met a human she can’t love. She’s gallivanted around the globe a few times but her bucket list only grows. Her grandest dreams involve helping humanity open their eyes to the limitless beauty of our planet, our brilliant souls, and the miraculous power of the Divine. Esme lives on a wooded plot of paradise with three of her five fantastic children and a ridiculously fluffy feline.

Esme Isadora

Love lab: date night for conscious couples, healing the god wound