We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ju – Julia Berrios a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ju – Julia, thanks for joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

SANARTEFOUNDATION.ORG
“COMPASSION IN ACTION”

“Life is nothing but a “Gift” and that the Universe allows us the opportunity to evolve and grow spiritually through life’s challenges and obstacles.”

Ju

My name is Ju. I am proud to share my story with others.  I am the Hispanic co-founder, multi digital artist and influencer behind SANARTE FOUNDATION. My life has led me to a vision that would help change the life and health of many through our unique artistic and philanthropic nonprofit organization.  Years back I became afflicted with chronic complex invisible diseases while simultaneously becoming inspired to follow my artistic endeavors.  I have lived with ongoing debilitating conditions from 2011-2023, including Fibromyalgia, ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), Post-Lyme and a severe brain cancer, Glioblastoma.  I am also a survivor of two more than 6-12 hour brain surgeries and was able to endure brain tumor proton therapy radiation for 31 days!

” Even if we fall ill, we must not let it defeat us. There are people battling difficult-to-cure illnesses who use what time they have to pray, meditate, chant, impart courage to others, and live out their lives with a noble sense of mission. Through doing so they are able to transform the meaning of illness. Indeed, this is faith to change poison into medicine and bring forth wisdom for genuine health.“

Daisaku Ikeda

It became a pivotal realization in my journey, which urged me to take compassion a step further, into much needed action.  As the years passed and my health did not improve, overwhelming frustration began building inside of me as I came to the realization that treatments and cures were nowhere to be found because funds for medical research were lacking.  If more medical research funding were available, new treatments and cures would exist!

Between 2014 and 2019, while homebound and bedridden, I created volumes of digital artworks.  I have over 200 digital art pieces. A personal “Out-of-Body Experience” was the catalyst for these artistic creations.

“I remember years back while bedridden in my despair, I asked God to please take me home.  I remember telling God that “… no matter what, I loved him very much but I could not suffer anymore”.  That night, as tears rolled down my eyes, I recall being lifted out of my body to a place where I was floating with stillness: no movement, totally dark, no color, no sound, no sensation, no sense of smell, no sense of taste. Nothing, yet everything.  A loud firm voice then said: “Julia, look closer!  I looked down and saw a vast Universe below me.  I saw trillions of stars and never ending solar systems. I suddenly returned to my body.  I then felt this beautiful presence behind me who lovingly said “Julia, don’t be afraid.  We are here with you!”  Innumerable millions of angelic beings appeared within this white yellow aura of golden energy all around me.  It was like my room was a visual “heaven on earth”.  When I awoke the next morning, I sensed this feeling of immeasurable LOVE.  Suddenly, I felt moving into this higher state of consciousness.  I saw images of a future where my art collections would be used to raise the energy frequency throughout the world thru digital art, video art, large digital art boards and even oceanic environmental art appeared in my sight.  My hands then all of a sudden began to move on their own.  I picked up my Apple IPad and began to create amazing digital Art!  Those were my hands but they were moving with their own energy as I felt into a state of total bliss. I felt this big oneness connection with everything and everyone! I was surprised to feel the beauty of the art expression that God was creating via my own hands and energy within us.  This was something not to be understood by the mind, only to be experienced.  After these “awakened” higher states of consciousness , I was drawn to pursue and study spirituality.  As a result, I was deeply inspired to create more digital artworks so as to raise the spiritual frequency vibrations of our planet”.

My digital fine art collections are dedicated to our “Divine Creator”.  As life is a Gift, I believe our creator allows us the opportunity to evolve and grow through life’s challenges and obstacles.

As I gradually got healthier, my compassion and passion for health consciousness has grown intensely.  My experiences reflect the importance of health and the preciousness of life so that we can gain a deeper appreciation of our own life and mission. In addition, overcoming our illness and living life to its fullest based on our strong faith and indomitable perseverance can impact those around us with courage and hope. It has certainly helped me raise my consciousness about  human health.

The challenges of the coronavirus post-covid pandemic, together with issues such as climate change, threaten people’s lives, livelihoods, and dignity everywhere.  It is more important than ever that we forge solidarity in action across borders and other divisions to overcome these health problems. We must adopt a philosophy of respect for the dignity of life, along with practical wisdom and action based on respect for all people, is essential to building a healthy society and a harmonious world.

Human health should be a priority on planet Earth. All my artwork is simply a vehicle to raise world health consciousness and advance higher vibrations of the planet to a higher frequency and assist non-profit organizations, medical doctors, researchers and scientists to be able to serve a higher purpose for “self” and “humanity” through increased awareness, medical research and altruistic means.

Ju – Julia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

In late 2020, I founded SANARTE FOUNDATION for the purpose of helping fund medical research through the Arts.  Since then, we have worked tirelessly to communicate our foundation’s mission so that we may build a community of followers, supporters, and partners willing to join our cause.

Simply put, we are ART FOR A CAUSE, meaning we want to use Art as a philanthropic vehicle to raise funds for medical research of many chronic complex diseases that remain incredibly underfunded.

Then, towards the end of 2022, SANARTE became a 501©(3) tax exempt nonprofit organization as determined by the Internal Revenue Service.  This has given us the opportunity and the ability to attract donors who can relate to and support our cause by contributing monetarily and helping us fundraise and generate funds for medical research, all this while making their charitable monetary contributions tax deductible exempt as permitted by law.  This means that a percentage of the proceeds from every monetary purchase or donation will be sent to any of the medical research institutions listed in our organization’s website or a medical institution of the donor’s choice.

In 2023, SANARTE has participated and exhibited its fine art in a number of wonderful art exhibitions, among them the INIM ME/CFS Conference at Nova SouthEastern University; at the City of Doral Hispanic Heritage Month Art Exhibit where the City Mayor and Vice Mayor attended; the COLORS OF MIAMI exhibitions at the Consulates of Mexico and Colombia; and finally the MIAMI INTERNATIONAL FINE ART S Exhibit.   These exhibitions have presented us with many fine opportunities and have allowed us to meet outstanding members of the artistic community, both local and from abroad.

Finally, we are proud to share with you some exciting news.  SANARTE is gearing up and getting ready to attend and participate in ART BASEL 2023, where four gorgeous fine art pieces on canvas titled “Unique”, “Soul Inspiration”, “Creativity” and “Success” will be on display and exhibited at this renown International Fine Arts Exhibition, specifically at SPECTRUM ART FAIR which is hosted by our artistic sponsor, D’VICTORIA FINE ART GALLERY, an amazing Art Gallery exhibiting Fine Art in South Florida for more than 20 years. This gallery has promoted and commercialized, since its inception, the work of artists of various nationalities, particularly, those from Latin America, making D’VICTORIA FINE ART a forum full of diversity and artistic richness.  We will certainly make a larger impact in the Fine Art world as they open their arms to help us fundraise for many underfunded medical research causes through the Arts. We hope this alliance and working relationship will serve as a springboard for other exciting events in 2024.

We also want to deeply thank Basilio Alvarez for his support, his amazing team in Artful Printers, and their high quality printing creations that have made our dreams come true.

In short, our philanthropic organization’s main purpose is to help raise funds for medical research, primarily in the private sector, while also exposing would-be donors to my digital art collections and enriching their donation experience.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us? Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My life health battles and struggles opened doors to higher states of compassion towards others and opened doors in my spiritual connections with the DIVINE. My health and disability struggles certainly built my resilience, my faith and my sense of gratefulness for everything. I continue to heal physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually in my precious life through deep meditation and mindfulness. My artwork carries healing aspects of mindfulness together with positive neutral emotions. I learned to highly value life as simply a gift of the Lord. My spirituality and creativity have developed a deep HEART of true “Compassion in Action”. I truly hope to make a real difference in our world and evolve and develop a “New Art Movement” that values a deeper scope in the medical fields that need funding and healing through “higher states of consciousness” and one that values such needed medical research in our world.

“Faith teaches that the same power which moves the universe exists within our lives. Each individual has immense potential, and a great change in the inner dimension of one individual’s life has the power to touch the lives of others and transform society.”

Daisaku Ikeda

Artist: Ju
Art Collection: “Awaken Your Soul”
Title “Unique”
Unique is being the only one of its kind: unlike anything else distinctive, individual, special, and eccentric.

Artist: Ju
Art Collection: “Awaken Your Soul”
Title: “Soul Inspiration”
Soul inspiration is an awakening and ascension. This process begins with the soul’s spiritual journey and the expanding of consciousness. Inspiration means that you are energized by your spirit.

Artist: Ju
Art Collection: “Awaken Your Soul”
Title: “Creativity”
We are creative human beings. The mind is always creating. It’s a self organizing field of intelligence and consciousness that is embedded in every cell and operable in every part of our being.

Artist: Ju
Art Collection: “Awaken Your Soul”
Title “Success”
Success is the understanding that wanting is the nature of life, the process through which we grow, reach, stretch, and expand as human beings. We are always creating.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sanartefoundation.org
• Instagram: @sanartefoundation
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanarteFoundation
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/ju-julia-
• Twitter: http://sanartefoundation.org/
• Youtube: sanartefoundation2355
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
1.. Diego Victoria and Sandra Victoria 2. Katia Yachmann – Artist 3. Nubia Abaji