Creative Social Entrepreneur... songwriter... storyteller. Artist... activist... author.
Heather Costaras, founder of the Beautiful Life Project loves using media, music and and creative initiatives to shine a spotlight on stories that she believes need telling and issues that need addressing.
Heather is particularly passionate about and especially interested in the education, empowerment, emancipation and upliftment of women and girls (from all walks of life). Research has proven, time and time again, that the best way to uplift and empower communities and even countries - is to empower and educate their women! These, and many other causes are important to Heather.
She founded the Beautiful Life Project in November 2007 after becoming disillusioned with her life as a business owner and full-time graphic designer. “All I did was work, eat, sleep and the process was repeated again and again. The deeper questions just wouldn’t go away and I knew that there simply had to be more to life than just... ‘surviving’ it”.
So, she took a leap of faith, closed down her business and returned to her first loves (music, media and the arts) in order to tell the stories that she felt needed telling... and address the social issues closest to her heart.
“Every woman wants to be beautiful - but few of us believe that we actually are”, says Heather. “This is the mind-set that I want to challenge!
In 2009, Heather was nominated as an “Inspired Individual” by TEARFUND, an international, UK-based aid organisation.
As a Creative Social Entrepreneur, she is also the founder of:
VENT! (giving permission and creating a platform for the ‘invisible’, the disempowered, the ‘silent’ and the ‘ignored’ - to tell their stories to the world)...
TAPESTRY OF DREAMS (bridging the gap between the Haves and the Have-Nots for the benefit of both)...
WOODO - Women who DO (a diverse network of women who are determined to BE the change they want to see in the world)... and;
LOVE, AFRICA (Re-branding Africa as a place of creativity, resourcefulness and inspiration - rather than a place to be pitied and/or feared).
Heather is based in Johannesburg (South Africa) - although she loves to travel. She’s happily married to Nick (a filmmaker) and they have two children, Morgan (6) and Joah (4).
She is available to speak or sing (or both) at various events which involve the upliftment, encouragement and empowerment of women and girls.
E-mail info@beautifullifeproject.com for more information.
To read more about the values and beliefs that act as the foundation of the Beautiful Life Project, click here.
To find out more about booking Heather and Beautiful Life Project for your event, click here.
To read Heather’s story, click here.
