"Curious Minds, Calm Hearts": What if your child's greatest treasure was already inside them?

Dear parents, dear residents of Venelles and beyond,

In the great journey of life, we all wish to give our children the best maps, the best tools to navigate. But faced with the challenges of their world—and our own—how do we equip them to find their way, not just towards success, but towards a deep and lasting joy?

It is with this question at our core that the association "Curious Minds, Calm Hearts" is born in Venelles. To illustrate our approach, we would like to share a story with you, inspired by our region, by the gaze of Cézanne, and by a deeper wisdom.

The Legend of the Painter and the Silent Canvas

The story goes that one day, a young boy from Venelles, frustrated, threw his paintbrush to the ground. He had spent the morning trying to paint the Sainte-Victoire mountain, but every attempt ended in failure. His canvas was a chaos of colors and angry strokes. "It's impossible!" he cried. "The mountain is always changing! The light, my own moods... I'll never be able to capture it."

An old painter, who was passing by, came closer. He said nothing about technique, but asked a simple question: "What do you see even before you see the mountain?" The boy, perplexed, answered: "Well... the mountain!"

"Look again," the old man insisted. "Before you paint the rock or the clouds, there is first your canvas. A white, silent, peaceful canvas. It is the space upon which everything else can appear. Is it not?"

Then, he added the most precious secret: "Imagine that on this canvas, you paint a great fire. Does the canvas get burned? If you paint a furious storm, does it get wet?"

"No," whispered the boy, who was beginning to understand. "The canvas remains the canvas."

"There you have it," the painter concluded. "Within you, there is a space of awareness, like this silent canvas. Emotions, restless thoughts... these are the colors that life paints upon it. But this space within you, your true nature, is never touched, never harmed. It always remains serene. To learn to feel it, to rest in it, is to find peace, no matter the weather outside."

The boy never looked at the Sainte-Victoire the same way again. He had understood that the greatest adventure was not to capture the world, but to discover this peaceful space within himself, this silent canvas upon which life could paint all its colors.

Our Mission: Reveal Inner Radiance

This "Silent Canvas" is precisely what "Curious Minds, Calm Hearts" aims to help your children, and by extension your families, to discover.

Our mission is:

• To give every child, teenager, and family the tools to perceive each challenge, each situation, as a blank canvas. A canvas on which they can choose to paint new possibilities, for themselves and for others.

• To support them in finding their emotional balance, learning to understand and navigate their feelings with serenity.

• To guide them towards a lasting inner well-being—this wisdom and energy they already possess, which is always there, no matter what life brings.

Our program is a path of self-discovery. It is about learning to be truly happy and calm from within, whatever life may bring. This approach is based on ancient wisdom, made accessible to modern families, and adapted to each age.

Consider it an exciting adventure of self-discovery!

Why is this Essential Today?

By cultivating this awareness from a young age, we offer our children:

• An Inner Compass: To navigate the storms and savor the sunny days with a deep sense of peace.

• Self-Confidence: To dare, create, and express their individuality with authenticity.

• Empathy and Openness: To build harmonious relationships and contribute positively to the world around them.

Join the Adventure!

We are infinitely happy to launch this initiative in Venelles and to build a community of curious and calm families. Creative workshops like origami, cooperative games, and many other activities will soon be offered to nourish the minds and soothe the hearts.

We invite you to embark with us on this magnificent quest for meaning and well-being.

To learn more about our philosophy and our upcoming activities, please visit our website:

🌐 https://www.curieuxetsereins.fr

With love,

The team of "Curious Minds, Calm Hearts"