About microbana™
microbana™ is a creative wellness practice that encourages the art of noticing and detail.
Through working with miniature natural arrangements, you’ll discover how slowing down and paying attention to small details can support calm, creativity, and everyday wellbeing. The aim isn’t perfection; it’s developing a practice of noticing that you can return to long after your first arrangement.
Why microbana™?
Every day, we encounter thousands of things without truly noticing them. We often overlook the details.
"We have become lethargic at how we see, scrolling away blurring images on mobile devices. I call it 'phonecoma', David Horne"
It's time to stop and truly see the detail. microbana™ encourages a different way of seeing.
It combines:
* ikebana
* mindfulness
* creativity
* observation
* nature connection
Engaging with tiny botanical materials in our creative workshops naturally slows the pace, inviting careful observation and thoughtful composition. By focusing on scale, balance, texture, and negative space, each arrangement transforms into a quiet exercise in mindfulness and attention.
No artistic experience is needed. Only curiosity.
The microbana™ experience is:
• surprisingly relaxing
• creatively refreshing
• gently challenging
• beautifully simple
About microbana™
microbana™, inspired by freestyle Ikebana, was created by Designer David Horne to help people rediscover the pleasure of careful and considered observation. It offers a contemporary approach to slowing down through creativity and mindful observation.
Rather than striving for perfection, microbana™ celebrates curiosity, experimentation, and personal expression.
David Horne is a highly experienced PgCert qualified Educator in Teaching Art & Design and is qualified in Ikebana. His diverse creative career has taken him across the globe, focusing on Professional Creative Training, Design, and Education for over 25 years.
Why miniature?
Working at a miniature scale transforms our thinking.
Tiny compositions encourage careful decisions rather than quick ones.
* Every stem matters.
* Every gap has purpose.
* Every arrangement tells a different story.
It becomes less about merely arranging flowers and more about engaging in mindful observation.
A creative practice for modern life
Whether you’re looking to reconnect with your creativity, reduce the noise of everyday life, or simply experience something different, our creative workshops focused on ikebana offer a calm space to explore.
How it works...
Collect
Discover and select your fresh flowers, or using the collection card, curiously curate.
Observe
Look closely. Prep your flowers by removing any damaged elements and ensuring each stem is in its best condition. Notice shape, line, texture, colour, and proportion.
Compose
Which direction does the stem look best? Experiment with balance, asymmetry, rhythm, and space within a miniature format. Small changes create completely different outcomes. Flowers should be upturned towards the light, not facing the shade.
Create
Build your own microbana™ freestyle composition guided by the PDF, experimenting freely and developing a new hobby or practice you can continue afterwards.
Perfect for a Sunday mindful reset.
Reflect
Step back. See your work differently. Discover how changing perspective influences the creative process.
Ready to see differently? Join a 1:1 session or inquire about a bespoke group experience.