For the past ten years, Rohini Walker, the British-Indian writer and Creativity for Leadership consultant, has made the Mojave high desert in Southern California her home. During this time, she’s co-created Luna Arcana, a popular indie Arts & Literary print periodical, where she serves as Editor & Creative Director. The publication has recently released its sixth issue, and Walker is now working on a book with her Luna Arcana creative partner, visual artist Martín Mancha.
Walker’s transition from London to the Mojave Desert was life-changing and unexpected. She first visited the area back in 2012 and found herself captivated by its stark beauty and extreme environment. “I couldn’t believe how much this landscape inspired me. It awoke my inspiration and creativity quite profoundly. Previously, I had found myself in quite the creative rut for a long period of time. But being in this otherwordly rural desert wilderness put an end to that. Much of my own work and my work with clients now focuses on how cultivating a connection to nature creates the necessary foundation for creative integrity and inspiration.”
For Walker and her husband, the desert offered an appealing lifestyle of rural simplicity and a genuine, grassroots community spirit, back before the desert became the destination on everyone’s bucket list.
In her work as a coach and consultant to both individuals and companies, Walker helps clients to dismantle internalized conditioning that blocks creative flow and inspiration. Working with inner alchemical practices, mythology, and fostering a deep relationship with nature, she guides individuals towards rediscovering ancient wisdom and forging an organic connection with the deep wellspring of creativity within themselves. “The depth of what can be achieved and accessed when a person is able to reconnect with their own innate creative impulse – whether they’re a writer, artist, entrepreneur or all three – is quite remarkable. Issues like procrastination and self-sabotage naturally fall away as my clients are able to work creatively and sustainably with their own inner ‘ecology of magic’, as I call it .”
Luna Arcana, the publication Walker co-founded, explores these themes of nature, mythology, art and culture within the desert context. It has evolved from being a platform for the area’s vibrant arts community and is now more of a longform expression of art and words, while still adhering to its thematic focus of the Mojave high desert as creative muse.
The upcoming book promises to be a distillation of all that Luna Arcana has been to date.
For those interested in learning more about Walker’s work, her coaching and consulting services, and her creative philosophy, you can find her at rohiniwalker.com. Luna Arcana’s latest and previous issues are available at lunaarcana.com for those who wish to explore the rich tapestry of artistic voices the publication showcases.
Walker’s journey from a disillusioned Londoner to a creatively fulfilled high desert resident highlights the transformative power of embracing new environments and challenges. Her story serves as a testament to the profound personal growth and creative rejuvenation that can occur when one opens up to the possibilities offered by new and unfamiliar surroundings.
