Karavan Creations
Argelia Long
We are a lifestyle company dedicated to healthy and sustainable, nature-based, bath/body and home goods. Our creations are inspired by the romance and excitement of world travel; wehile celebrating diversity and global connections. We want to help you live a healthier, more joyful, and more sustainable life. Everything our family owned and operated company sells is lovingly handmade in small batches using local Louisiana resources whenever possible; our motto being:
Globally Inspired. Locally Made.
Our skin loving, gentle, handmade, luxury soaps are made with the natural goodness of plant based oils, natural colorants, and pure essential oils. Created for both women and men to pamper themselves.
Our clean burning, natural soy candles, are hand poured in small batches, and created from U.S. grown soybeans. The rich exotic scents are designed to stimulate both your senses and your imagination. Inspired by global travels, our candles allow you to be mentally whisked away to faraway destinations until you can get there in person.
This led us to add another component to the project- Koffee KaraVan: Branding and Marketing for Authors. In this project, we sought to showcase and capacitate emerging authors with the hope of creating a platform or marketplace that is more friendly for Afro-centric creations compared to some of the existing structures which are geared towards those abroad as well as equip authors with a plan of action on what course of action to pursue upon publication such as branding and marketing their work as authors.
We conducted a survey where aspiring authors and published authors told us about their challenges with the book industry in Africa. Most people wished they had started with branding and marketing before they even published their books. However, now they are inclined to get an expert who can help them with their marketing.
It was a vibrant conversation from the mental health of the author after post-publication of their books to a new platform on the block- Africanbooks.com that has come in to help African authors not only put their books on the international market but also receive their royalties seamlessly.
Having partnered with Afrobloggers, a virtual hub for digital storytellers, a web resource for authors was created on their website. It is a listing of books by African authors and how you can get in contact with them.
There are still very many challenges for authors in the African book industry. It is not something that will be resolved in one day but slowly by slowly, we will get there. There are a number of individuals and organisations in the fight and we do believe African authors will get the recognition they duly deserve.
Kajambo, Hello Everyone! Let me tell you a little bit about myself.....I am a multi-passionate Creative Storypreneur, Designer, Creative Consultant and Creativity Coach with a mission to inspire and empower creators- individuals and brands to embrace their stories to unlock their creative potential to design their authentic, purpose-driven brands.I am also the Founder and Creative Director of This is Me!, a digital platform that takes on the role of bringing my mission to life.I love color and all things creative!Well, This is me!
Yael Karavan is an award-winning performer, dancer and artistic director of the Karavan Ensemble. Yael's work is often described as visual/physical poetry, drawing on elements of Butoh, dance, mime, clown, physical and visual theatre. Since 1999 she's been touring her work, teaching and directing worldwide. @karavanensemble
I grew up very close to my father who is an environmental sculptor. I have seen him create public artworks around the world with the clear aim of raising awareness on issues of peace, human rights, and our environment. He used to say that one needs to constantly fight in order to bring about peace. I have seen him fight for the world and for his art since I was a little child. He is now celebrating his 90th birthday and very much still fighting for humanity. I suspect that his political involvement through his work, and the energy he has constantly poured into it, has been a great influence on the responsibility I feel as an artist.
I consider myself to be a generally positive person, but the current state of the world calls me to action. Maybe there comes a certain age when an artist changes her focus from her own belly button to the belly button of the world?
Another step on my path towards connection and understanding, linking life and art: I have practiced Butoh for more than 20 years: researching, studying, teaching, dancing. Butoh is a philosophy and a method, not a technique. It is a way of living and seeing the world around us. It helped me realise that life is made of contradictions, and that darkness is a necessary part of the light. It focused my contribution to this world by working towards balancing the forces of creation and destruction.
I can also feel the support of Bertolt Brecht and the Epic Theatre he was exploring, bringing political issues to his audiences by breaking the fourth wall, as well as the use of popular theatre mores, in order to reach wider audiences.
Before I take another step I can just about see Augusto Boal and his Theatre of the Oppressed. Exploring various forms of theatre in order to tackle social and political problems. Bringing his audiences into action through his Forum Theatre and his Invisible Theatre. Placing theatre in unexpected places to raise the most pressing issues, inspiring conversation and the possibility for change.
Karavan is composed of mysterious anthropoid beings in black suits and helmets that cover their entire heads. With the exception of the Prime Roots, the Karavan is present throughout Atys. Indeed, the homins have never yet explored an area where Karavan presence is not felt. The members of the Karavan live in great metallic vehicles and use weapons of technology as yet unknown to hominkind. The homins mostly hold them in awe.
We are the disciples of Jena, the Goddess of Atys and Mother of Hominity. We have been sent to watch over Her children to give them guidance should they lose their way, and prepare them for divine elevation on the judgment day.
Be sure, that day is near, homin! Adore Her and She will lead you through the pearly gates to a world of plenty, away from the dragon and the kitins, away from the evil Kamis! Beware, these creatures are more concerned with festering plants than homin life. They will possess your soul just to nourish their selfish desire of self-preservation if you let them!
Never forget, like me, you were made in Jena's image, and faith in Her must prevail in your heart for you to receive divine grace when Atys can no longer support homin life. In return for your devout offerings, She has invested us with divine authority to resurrect your spirit, to teleport you to distant lands, and to teach you how to wield our technology.
The homins lived on an impoverished planet until the Great Dragon, the prince of darkness, came and seduced them with visions of crystal waters and a land of plenty. After leading them to Atys, the Dragon endeavored to extinguish the sunlight there and in the cold and dark reduce the homins to slavery. But Jena, Goddess of the sun, creator of Atys, got wind of the dragon's plans and filled his body with eternal fire to prevent him breathing coldness and extinguishing the living light. The Goddess then conjured the light anew so provoking the Green Rising so that the homins could live again in harmony in a bountiful world. Jena sent in her disciples, the Karavan Guardians, to establish the homins in different parts of the planet so that each race would have a role in its conservation. Ever since, faithful homins have learnt to express their gratitude in worship to Jena and with offerings via her disciples. As for the Dragon, he took refuge in the dark bowels of Atys where he now slumbers. The homins are forbidden to descend underground in quest of the dragon's lair for fear of stirring its wrath.
Before the Great Dragon dies he will rise again to expulse all the fire from his body so causing the end of Atys. Those remaining faithful to the teachings of Jena and residing on the surface of Atys shall be rescued and shepherded to a new world of plenty.
In exchange for their loyalty, homins can make use of the Karavan powers of teleportation and resurrection. In the past the Karavan taught homins the technology and science that enabled the construction of their civilizations. The Karavan also promise to protect the homins in the event of any new disaster on Atys, but they will show no mercy to the infidel.
We are the disciples of Jena, the Goddess of Atys and Mother of Hominity. We have been sent to watch over Her children to give them guidance should they lose their way and to prepare them for divine elevation on the judgement day. Be sure, that day is near, homin!
Adore Jena and She will lead you through the pearly gates to a world of plenty, away from the Dragon and kitins, away from the evil Kamis! Beware, They will possess your soul just to nourish their selfish desire of self-preservation if you let them!
Never forget, like me, you were made in Jena's image, and faith in Her must prevail in your heart for you to receice divine grace when Atys can no longer support homin life. In return for your devout offerings, She has invested us with divine authority to resurrect your spirit, to teleport you to distant lands and to teach you how to wield our technology.
It is said that long ago, the ancestors of the homins inhabited an impoverished planet. The Great Dragon, the prince of shadows, came to entice them with visions of pure water and fertile lands. He led them to the promised land of Atys, where he hid the sun, plunging the planet into cold and darkness. Indeed, instead of a land of wonders and of freedom, the people tricked by the Dragon experienced desolation and slavery.
Jena, the sun goddess and Mother of all life, granted them deliverance. The creator of Atys heard of the perfidy of the Dragon and filled him with an eternal fire. That way, the Dragon could no longer maintain a cold climate and extinguish the light of life. The Goddess then caused the light to be reborn, causing the green to grow and transforming Atys into an amazing planet of plants. The enslaved people were purified and set free from the Dragon, who withdrew into the depths: and this is how Jena gave birth to hominity.
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