Talks From The Heart

 
 

I specialise in inspirational talks on the themes that unite us, rather than divide us, like love, death, ritual, and wonder.  My talks are designed to engage and entertain as well as equip the audience with simple, playful powerful tools they can put into practise immediately. I have been a keynote speaker at Google, the UN International Day of Happiness and at Sunday Assembly, where I was voted back for the third time by popular demand. My TEDx talk, which has had over 28k views, gives a flavour of how I communicate – which is always from the heart.

 

Talk Topics

  • Ritual At Work

    Human beings have created rituals to mark milestones and honour transitions since the dawn of time – and when it comes to our work, we can use ritual design to bring more meaning to our working lives.

    A ritual might be about letting go of the old or welcoming the new. It could be about how you start your day, eat your lunch, connect with your team or tackle your tasks. And it could be about the big picture – connecting to the light on the horizon that pulls you forward in purposeful, inspired action.

  • Making Moments Of Meaning — Ritual Design 101

    Making moments of meaning can encompass all areas of our lives, from how we work, rest, eat and play to how we honour love, birth, and death.

    In this talk, Tiu shares the toolkit she uses with clients to create moments of magic and meaning that shine bright in the memory and which provide a container for the things that really matter to us.

    This talk is an invitation to create miniature artworks in your life, to bring your creativity, your intellect, your imagination, and your community together in service of making experiences that satisfy the soul. It is an exploration into ways in which we might create experiences that are meaningful, moving, and magical, moment by moment.

  • How To Go On Micro-Adventures

    When we need a blast of inspiration, a break in routine, and a fresh way of thinking, we don’t need to take ourselves on an expensive holiday or sign up for a lavish retreat. We simply need to know how to go on a micro-adventure to shift our perspective and rekindle our sense of curiosity.

    In this interactive talk, you will learn how to dig for diamonds in your own backyard and leave inspired to see your world anew.

  • Finding Flow States

    When we access a flow state, we are utterly absorbed, focused, and creatively inspired.

    This interactive talk explores how the great artists, writers, composers, and thinkers have ritualised their productivity and inspiration - and gives you an introduction to the tools you can use to find your own unique access to flow. We will explore the psychological, environmental, social, and physical triggers you can adapt to eliminate procrastination and dissolve creative blocks.

  • New Beginnings

    A talk on ways to celebrate new beginnings. We explore the need for a ritual to mark the start of something new, from creating your own way to step into the day, to the optimum conditions to kickstart a new project, to the new trend for nonmaterial baby showers, and how to welcome a child to the world.

    From planting a seed to turning a new house into a new home, we learn about rituals for fresh starts of all kinds.

  • Meaningful Meals & Ritual Repasts

    Ritual is to the soul as food is to the body – and ceremony and feasting are often combined. But just how do we bring meaning to our meals?

    When we share a meal, we do so much more than simply eat - we bond, we talk, we celebrate, we connect. We might fall in love, honour an anniversary or seal a deal. And throughout human history, we have ritualised our meals with all sorts of fascinating practises that attribute meaning to the food we eat and share.

    In these days of Instagramming every plateful of food, or mindlessly munching while bingeing on box sets, learn how you can transform your table into a place of appreciation, conversation, and connection. You’ll also learn how to host your own Dinner for the Dead next Halloween.

  • The Power Of Gratitude

    A session to supercharge your joy, and to connect you to what’s important – and each other.

    When we feel grateful, we attune to what’s working in our lives. And when we really take time to cultivate gratitude, everyone and everything gets better. It’s like a hidden superpower – an instant mood lifter, crowd-pleaser, heart warmer, and deep connector.

    We will start by learning a gratitude practice to use in everyday life, and find out just how powerful it can be to find ways to appreciate others and the wonderful world around you.

  • Rituals For Self-Care

    Many of us experience burnout, overwhelm and exhaustion. Our collective physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health are in crisis - and yet society’s acceptable solutions usually just centre around numbing ourself with alcohol and distracting ourself with a box set.

    This talk explores the tools we can use to create our own rituals of restoration, reflection and resilience, from bringing more meaning to mealtimes, releasing grief, energising your space, honouring your rhythms and creating your own rituals for wellbeing and self care.

    Image is reused with great thanks to the incredible @sarashakeel

  • Death, Dying & Grief For The Living

    The only certainty we all have is that one day, we will die – yet few of us harness the vivifying power of this knowledge and use it to remind us to cherish the moments we have left to us.

    Tiu has trained with ecological undertakers, experienced the grief rituals of the Dagara tribe, and designed funeral ceremonies for people of all values and beliefs, as well as having had more than her own fair share of death, loss, and grief.

    This talk is an open-hearted exploration of how to celebrate life and make death meaningful, discussing the creation of rituals specific to death, dying, and grief, as well as honouring the anniversary of a death and inviting our creativity to the art of both living and dying.

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Biography

For events and republication, please use the following bio:

Tiu de Haan is an Oxford-educated ritual designer, creative facilitator, and inspirational speaker. She creates heartfelt experiences designed to connect us to ourselves, to each other, and to our own creativity.

Her work engages with that which unites us, giving people of all backgrounds and beliefs new and creative ways to transform our experiences into meaningful moments, finding the magic in the mundane and experiencing the possibility of wonder.

Over the past 16 years Tiu has worked with everyone from seven-year-olds to CEOs and in organisations as diverse as Google, the United Nations, L’Oreal, the BBC, Bank of America, the Law Society, Lush, the London College of Communication, and the World Economic Forum. She designed and delivered the ceremony for Grace Gelder’s self-marriage in 2014 and recently collaborated with world-renowned neuroscientist Beau Lotto to create an experiential ritual for empowerment in New York.

She has been featured in Psychologies Magazine, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, ES magazine, Amica, and Radio 4's Digital Human. Every month she broadcasts to Psychologies Magazine’s online community of 1.4 million subscribers and her TEDX talk on ‘Why we still need ritual’ has been viewed over 28k times.

Tiu lives on a beautiful houseboat in London and takes great delight in writing love letters to strangers and leaving them in nooks all around the city.

Read more about Tiu here.

Recent Speaking Events

 

 University of the Arts London: Ritual Design for the Design Management Cultures graduating class

The Rubin Museum, NYC - Hair - a ritual for creativity and strength with leading neuroscientist Beau Lotto

Humanist Celebrant Conference - Ritual design for our time - Keynote speaker at the annual conference speaking for humanists

UCL - The Right to the City - teaching random acts of kindness and ‘tactical urbanism’ to the urban planning Masters dept

The AllBright - Ritual Design 101 at the women-only member’s club in Central London

Ministry of Justice - Gratitude and appreciation - a practical toolkit on behalf of the Museum of Happiness

Hospice UK - Association of Palliative Care Workers, Rituals for honouring death and end of life

Bank of America - Mindfulness training and habits for happiness on behalf of the Museum of Happiness

Nike/ASOS event - How to find “flow” - rituals for deep work, focus, and creativity

Psychologies Magazine: World Meditation Day, Rituals for meditation

Crowe UK LLP: Non-Profit Team Event: Mindfulness training and habits for happiness on behalf of the Museum of Happiness

Second Home, London Fields: Finding your flow state

Sunday Assembly, Conway Hall, London: Rituals for Celebration

Patternity, Ace Hotel, London: Positive Patterns and Creativity day

 

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