About
Sanctuary Studio
A note from
the founder
Hey there, it’s a honor that you’ve landed here.
My name is MIDORI (she/her), and I am the founder of Sanctuary Studio.
In Japanese, Midori means "green," and in some interpretations, it refers to the blue-green of the ocean, the freshness of spring, and the reawakening of life. I believe this communicates the essence of who I am.
I descend from ancestors who were seafarers, farmers, mathematicians, engineers, entrepreneurs, advisors, mothers, and mystics originating from China and islands of Okinawa. My family has lived in the United States for multiple generations, and I currently reside in the Bay Area, CA. I resonate deeply with the Asian diasporic experience and it’s my purpose to continue to remember and reimagine my ancestral gifts, wisdom, and creative power.
I have over a decade of experience collaborating with founders and artists, building their brands from start-up to world-renowned in the realms of creative marketing and production from the likes of cocokind, studio table, and Heather Day.
In 2020, I founded Sanctuary Studio, initially as a ceremonial photography studio. This led to incepting a holistic art school called Art Alchemy Academy, where I led a cohort of students through my framework of creative direction and self portraiture.
In 2023, I assembled a group of respected artist-facilitators and co-founded a virtual church called Soft Power. We now have a growing membership, weekly gatherings, and host a quarterly variety show while guiding performers through our innovative performing arts curriculum.
In summary? I am an expert at materializing big dreams into reality.
I’m rooted in my purpose and confident in my ability to support all those willing to reclaim their identity as artists and be the force of change they want to see in the world.
Meet MIDORI
Artist-Alchemist
As an artist, I’m devoted to the art of intentional living. As an alchemist, I practice daily inner transformation and growth.
Queer and Neurodivergent
I am queer because I refuse to conform to Western normative standards of love and family. I am neurodivergent and proudly claim that identity. I believe both of these identities are foundational to my path as a mystic and essential in understanding how I navigate the world and how I approach my work.
Spiritual-Creative Consultant
I work with clients who are seeking guidance around their purpose and unique creative expression, especially those who may be feeling stuck or uninspired. In my sessions, I use natal chart astrology, divination, and psychic intuition as tools to support insight and clarity.
Business & Marketing Consultant
I work with clients who are seeking guidance on their business and marketing efforts. With over a decade of experience, I utilize astrology via your personal & business birth chart to attune to the spirit and essence of your business as a compass to answer any questions and provide direction.
Church Founder, CEO, & CFO
I am the founder, CEO, and CFO of a lay-led virtual church called Soft Power, where we provide accessible creative collective care centering artists of the global majority. Whether or not Sanctuary Studio’s offerings are accessible to you, I would encourage you to join our community there, too!
Sanctuary Studio Praxis
Sanctuary is a place of safety, refuge, and protection.
This living praxis is a way of being and creating that honors the belief that everyone is an artist and deserves access to Sanctuary in four essential dimensions:
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Our bodies are the first home we know. Treating the body as sacred space means developing a relationship with deep listening and presence and honoring its unique rhythms and cycles.
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Connection to our culturally-relevant spiritual and creative practices deepen our understanding of our personal histories, ignite our imagination, and revitalize our agency to shape our reality.
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Our living environments profoundly shape our well-being. Having access to a physical home that we’re on that supports our safety, creation of beauty, and personal expression that grounds us in comfort and possibility.
And it’s more than just shelter; it is a living relationship with the land that holds us, shaped by its histories, cultures, and ecosystems. -
We thrive in connection. Belonging to a community that honors, witnesses, and supports us offers nourishment and solidarity. We are here to collaborate and build shared realities that support our collective well-being.
This praxis is an invitation to engage with the art of living intentionally, and to remember that Sanctuary is a practice we continually return to.
The Jade Empress
Self Portrait taken by Sanctuary Studio
Lineage
✴ Taoism
I am self-studying Taoism and esoteric Taoist craft via the work of Benebell Wen.
✴ Western Tropical Astrology
My knowledge of astrology is informed by my studies with Oak Kalawakan. In 2022, I received the Natal Chart Astrology certification through their year-long program.
✴ Facilitation Style
My approach to facilitation is informed by Soul-Sensitive Care by Siobhán Diores (Mother of PEARL), a commitment to holding space that is trauma-sensitive, nervous system-informed, honors ancestral and lived experiences, and empowers each individual’s inherent ability to create change.
✴ Emergence
I value emergence and moving at the speed of trust, informed by the work of adrienne marie brown.
✴ Rest & Creative Intuition
My frameworks of rest & creative intuition were informed by the work of alexx temeña (School of Embodied Praxis).
✴ Spiritwork
I am a practitioner of Espiritismo Cruzao, under the mentorship of Kaitlyn Graña (Mother of Mystics).
✴ Somatics
My understanding of somatics is informed by the work of Dr. Kiernan “Kiki” Steiner (The Voice Doula), Flo Fu (Soul Blume) and my studies at the McKinnen Body Institute studying acupressure, anatomy, and swedish massage.
✴ Strategy & Organizational Development
My approach to business strategy and organizational development was informed by my work with Yadira Lumbreras (Compass and the Road) while building the foundations for the Church of Soft Power.
“A revolution that is based on the people exercising their creativity in the midst of devastation is one of the great historical contributions of humankind.”
Grace Lee Boggs, movement ancestor
Image courtesy of American Revolutionary