A women-centered tea and art studio tucked into the hills of Northeast LA — a place to slow down, make something with your hands, and come back to yourself.
The Space
Perched on a quiet hilltop in Northeast LA, this sun-filled studio is surrounded by plants, art supplies, and a view that reminds you to breathe. It asks nothing of you except to slow down, settle in, and simply be.
The Art
Step into The Nest LA for an afternoon of calm, creativity, and connection with fellow women. 🌿🎨
Every session begins at the tea table with a calming gong fu cha tasting, moves through a grounding sandbox meditation, and flows into a hands-on creative project. Twenty years of teaching across four cities taught me that creativity doesn't need a fancy studio or a fine arts degree — just a safe space, a warm cup of tea, and the permission to begin. There are no mistakes here, only new opportunities.
Every Session Includes:
🍵 A traditional gong fu cha brewing and tasting — warming the vessel, measuring the leaves, pouring with intention, savoring each small cup.
🧘 A grounding sandbox meditation to quiet the mind before we begin.
🎨 A guided, hands-on creative project — moss gardens, calligraphy, watercolor, printmaking, and more. The medium changes each time; the intention stays the same.
🙌🏽 A small, welcoming circle of women to create alongside.
💛 A one-of-a-kind piece you make with your own hands, to carry home as a reminder of your time here.
What to Expect:
Arrival and tea tasting. Settle in alongside the group, sip slowly, and let the space welcome you.
Guided creation. Simple, step-by-step instruction — the process is gentle and meditative, never about getting it "right."
Connection. Real conversation with other women who get it.
Admire and enjoy. Take in what you've made, snap a photo, and carry that calm home with you.
The Tea
There's something grounding about the sound of water poured with intention. This is Gong Fu Cha — warming the vessel, measuring the leaves, savoring each small cup — a ritual that asks you to slow down before anything else begins. Tea is the thread that ties every gathering at The Nest together.
Your Host
I'm Joannza. It started with a fearless five-year-old and a pair of scissors — by eleven I was building things bigger than I could explain, and by sixteen I knew creativity doesn't live in just one place. Twenty years of teaching, from kindergarteners to college students across four cities, taught me the lesson I still teach here: there are no mistakes in art, just new opportunities. I've shaped clay in Korea, picked tea on mountaintops in Taiwan, and held freshly roasted leaves in my hands, learning that care is an art form too. Now I pour all of it into this — a table, a cup of tea, a room full of women who need this as much as I did. I built The Nest so people like me could come back to themselves. Welcome — I saved you a seat.