ARTIFACT
3 Month Creative ResearchLab

 for Artists, Curators, Facilitators + Creative Guides

Cultivate Alignment, Authenticity, and Embodied Wisdom

through your Creative Practice

ARTIFACT is a practitioner development program grounded in practice-based research, embodied presence, and creative liberation. It supports artists, facilitators, guides, and thinkers in becoming vessels of transmission through inner alignment, somatic inquiry, and integrative visibility. Through a blend of mindfulness, creative practices, and professional development, this program provides a transformational experience for participants to align their values with their practice.

The Body is The Compass

The Practice is the Path

ARTIFACT is a 3-month creative research lab designed for artists, guides, and embodied practitioners/facilitators ready to root into their artistic voice, clarify their offering, and creatively document a body of work.

Rooted in the scholarship of Practice-Based Research, this intimate container integrates embodied wisdom, artistic process, and identity development to elevate the emerging artist. With the support of  Nkechi’s PBR project The Compass, and her personalized artist development sessions, you’ll explore your personal lineage, move through embodied inquiry, and translate your findings into a meaningful artifact—a poetic and professional reflection of your practice.

WHAT IS AN ARTIFACT?

An artifact is a tangible reflection of your research—an offering, score, portfolio, ritual, story, or process that makes your creative intelligence visible. It is your living archive, creative blueprint and legacy.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Month 1 — GROUND + ALIGN
 Root into identity, lineage, personal arc + somatic memory
 → Practice Map ( Process, Archival + Documentation)

Month 2 — CLARIFY + COMMUNICATE
 Direction through inquiry, uncover voice, express identity powerfully, make visible
→ Artist Statement + Project Sketch

Month 3 — OFFER
Shape your process into form and visibility
 → Final Artifact, Offering + Research Artist Profile

What You’ll Experience Each Month

Each aspect of the ARTIFACT is thoughtfully designed to support your practice and expression:

3 Monthly Live Sessions:
90-minute gatherings to learn, share, and grow together

3 Monthly 1:1 Advisory Call :
Monthly sessions tailored to the creative and artful path

Peer Support:
A private creative community to connect, collaborate, and encourage

Self-Paced Practices:
Meditations, creative prompts, and reflective exercises through The Compass Membership

  • GROUND + ALIGN
    Root into identity, lineage, personal arc + somatic memory

    Theme: Establishing Your Foundation

    We begin where every strong practice does: with your roots. Discover your values, connect to your creative voice, and explore the “why” behind your work. This is where you build the foundation for your growth. Theme: Harmonizing Inner Clarity with External Actions

    Next, we bring your internal clarity into harmony with how you show up in the world. Explore what alignment feels like, set boundaries that honor your values, and create a life and practice that reflect your authentic self.

    • Core Practice: Boundaries & Embodied Integrity

    • Key Activity:

      • Aligned Pathways: Create a visual representation of how your values align with your professional offerings.

    • Core Practice: Somatic Grounding & Self-Inquiry

    • Key Activity:

      • Root & Rise: A guided journaling and movement activity to identify core intentions and map your creative and well-being philosophy.

        Theme: Harmonizing Inner Clarity with External Actions

        Next, we bring your internal clarity into harmony with how you show up in the world. Explore what alignment feels like, set boundaries that honor your values, and create a life and practice that reflect your authentic self.

  •  Direction through inquiry, uncover voice, express identity powerfully, make visible

  • Shape your process into form and visibility

    Direction through inquiry, uncover voice, express identity powerfully, make visible

    Theme: Honing Your Voice & Creative Expression

    Now it’s time to speak your truth in community. This month, you’ll discover the power of authentic storytelling and learn to share your work in a way that resonates deeply with others.

    Theme: Sharing Your Work with Confidence and Compassion

    The journey culminates in learning to guide others. Step into leadership with tools to hold space, navigate challenges, and facilitate meaningful experiences rooted in mindfulness and creativity.

    • Core Practice: Mindful Facilitation & Leadership

    • Key Activity:

      • Sacred Circle Facilitation: Lead a session with peers, integrating mindfulness and creative elements.

    • Core Practice: Authentic Storytelling & Presence

    • Key Activity:

      • The Mirror Exercise: Practice storytelling through written, spoken, or embodied expression, followed by reflective feedback.

About Your Guide

Nkechi Njaka, founder of The Compass, is an interdisciplinary artist, somatic practitioner, and PhD student in Creative Research. Her work weaves mindfulness, science, storytelling, and social practice to guide others into embodied presence, somatic liberation and creative sovereignty.

What Awaits You at the End of ARTIFACT

✔ A clear creative offering or facilitation project based on a researched body of work
✔ A personal Practice Map and Artist Statement that is honest + comprehensive
✔ A co-developed Creative Research Artist Profile (for press, grants, etc)
✔ A visible, documented artifact of your embodied work

THIS IS FOR YOU IF YOU ARE:

  • An artist, guide, or healing practitioner at a creative precispice

  • Working at the intersection of identity, depth, and embodied expression

  • Longing for structure that honors process over performance/ output

  • Ready to bring your vision and voice into form in a new way

  • Searching for creative community and would benefit from individual and collaborative support

Space is limited to 10 artists

Intimate cohort

Begins September 15th, 2025

INTEGRATE + EMBODY: 

A Northern California Retreat

Every journey deserves a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate.
At the end of the program, join us for a two-day immersive retreat where you’ll bring everything you’ve learned into practice while surrounded by a supportive community.

Retreat Highlights:

  1. Facilitation Practicum: Lead a creative session with real-time feedback.

  2. Embodied Presence Practices: Deepen your connection to yourself and others.

  3. Reflection & Integration: Synthesize your learning and clarify your next steps.

  4. Embodied Photo Shoot with Kirby: A professional session to capture your growth and authenticity.

  5. Community Rituals: Share meals, stories, and rituals to honor the journey.