A monthly gathering for creatives, artists and visionaries at Salasbananas the Queer Temple, Sri Lanka
Salasbananas the Queer Temple, Sri Lanka
How do we become loving caretakers of what we create?
Creation is an act of inspiration. Sustaining what we create is an ongoing relationship of attention, devotion and care.
I have been sitting with a question in my own practice, as an artist, yogi and someone who is constantly imagining and bringing things into existence.
We celebrate the beginning of things.
A new idea. A new relationship. A new piece of art. A new project. A vision that suddenly becomes possible.
There is an excitement in these moments, a powerful creative energy that moves us into action.
But what happens after the initial inspiration?
What sustains our creations when the excitement fades?
And perhaps more importantly, how do we sustain ourselves in the process?
These inquiries have become the foundation of Creative Pooja, a new monthly gathering at Salasbananas the Queer Temple.
A space to explore creativity not simply as something we do, but as a sacred relationship we consciously nourish.
Creativity as Our Relationship with the Divine
I experience creativity as one of the ways we encounter the divine.
Through the body, through art, through relationships, through our imagination and our capacity to bring something into existence that did not exist before.
The creative spirit is not separate from our everyday lives.
It is present in the way we move, love, cook, garden, parent, speak, make art, build communities and imagine new possibilities for our world.
Yet we so often approach creativity through productivity.
What can I make?
What can I achieve?
What can I bring into the world?
And when inspiration disappears, we sometimes respond by demanding more of ourselves.
More discipline. More effort. More output.
But what if our creativity is not asking for more effort?
What if it is asking for more love?
What Is a Creative Pooja?
Pooja, or Puja, is a devotional practice of honouring the sacred through offerings of gratitude, reverence, beauty and love.
In many Hindu traditions, the divine is welcomed as an honoured guest, offered flowers, light, water, nourishment and attentive presence.
I find something profoundly beautiful in this understanding of devotion.
We do not simply ask the sacred to provide for us. We also take time to welcome, honour, appreciate and nurture our relationship with it.
Creative Pooja is a contemporary creative ritual inspired by this devotional spirit, rather than a formal traditional religious ceremony.
Here, we turn our attention towards the creative divine within us.
How would you consciously nourish, celebrate and keep the spark alive?
Imagine that your creativity were your beloved.
Your lover, your partner, someone with whom you share a deep and meaningful relationship.
Would you make time to simply be together?
Would you listen?
Would you offer rest, attention, beauty and tenderness?
Would you allow this relationship to change and evolve?
Would you continue to show up even when it asks you to slow down?
This is the invitation of Creative Pooja.
Not to ask our creativity for more.
But to consciously offer something back.
A Ritual of Returning
Creative Pooja is an invitation to explore these inquiries through lived, embodied experience. Through movement, breath, sound, meditation, stillness, creative expression, ritual and time in nature, we create opportunities to reconnect with the sacred creative presence within us. Each gathering will offer space to step away from the demands of producing and achieving. To be held in the company of other creatives.
To listen to what our bodies, hearts and imaginations need.
To honour what we have already created.
And to remember that our creative worth is not measured by our output.
There is no expectation to make something beautiful, produce a finished artwork or share anything we are not ready to share. We gather to nourish the relationship itself.
Our First Gathering: The Creative Return
A Creative Pooja with Assata Jones & Sala
We begin this journey on Thursday, 5 November 2026, with Assata Jones.
Together, we invite you into The Creative Return, an intimate 2.5-hour gathering exploring:
Movement · Sound · Stillness · Devotion
An afternoon dedicated to reconnecting with the body, listening within, spending time in nature and making conscious offerings of gratitude to our creative spirit.
A space for artists, makers, dreamers and visionaries, wherever you are in your creative journey.
Event Details
Date: Thursday, 5 November 2026
Time: 4:30–7:00 PM
Venue: Salasbananas the Queer Temple, Thalpe, Sri Lanka
Exchange: LKR 6,000 per person
Capacity: 6–12 participants
Includes: Tea and water
Booking: Advance registration and payment required
No prior experience with yoga, meditation or ritual is necessary.
Reserve your place: www.salasbananas.com
WhatsApp: +94 77 703 8670
