Reflective Doodling Workshop with Irmarie

Reflective doodling workshop led by Irmarie Rios, a licensed therapist and community member, centered on mindfulness, creativity, and emotional expression. The workshop started with check-ins with everyone, noticing how our minds and bodies were feeling coming into the space. Before starting anything else, we all focused on breathing exercises to help reconnect our community members with the present before continuing.

Irmarie introduced simple ways to start doodling with shapes and repetitive patterns, which can help calm the mind, reduce stress, and support emotional release. Conversations naturally flowed through the workshop, creating a relaxed and welcoming space while everyone created their doodles. In this workshop, we used doodling as a tool for reflection, emotional processing, and self-expression without any pressure or expectations around artistic ability. We encourage our community members to embrace their creativity freely, allowing the process itself to become a grounding, reflective, and personal to them.

Windchime Decorating Workshop at TFD

Community art therapy workshop led by Yekseny centered on creative expression, mindfulness, and community connection. The workshop started with a check-in, welcoming both new and recurring community members to feel welcomed. Yekseny introduced the meaning and origin behind mandalas, along with their connection to reducing anxiety and creating a sense of balance. Community members decorated their own windchimes with colors, patterns, and symbols.

Conversations throughout the workshop encouraged reflection, connection, and comfort while creating alongside one another. Once everyone was finished decorating, everyone went around and presented their windchimes and where they planned to place them. The workshop encouraged others to create freely, reflect openly, and leave with something meaningful to them.

Mentorship Celebration

That is a wrap for Spring Mentorship 2.0! We celebrated with good food and reflected on mentorship. We started the last session by heading out to eat together, giving the mentees space to unwind and celebrate their accomplishments and completion of the Mentorship. We talked through everything this Mentorship held: what we learned, the goals we set, the challenges, and the project the mentees worked on collaboratively. After, we made our way back to The Firehouse Dream, where the conversations shifted to more about what the mentees’ journey with photography has been looking like for them recently.

We wrapped the day with group photos and video content of our celebration. Thank you to the mentees for showing up and being ready to learn during Mentorship.

Japanese Doll Making with Yekseny | Art Therapy

For our Art Therapy, we invited community members into a gentle space of reflection, creativity, and cultural appreciation. Yekseny Guerreo facilitated the workshop and began with a check‑in, asking everyone to share their sunny spot, rainbow, and rainy moment from the week.

This grounding ritual helped us reconnect with ourselves and each other before moving into the creative process. After revisiting our group norms, we shifted into the history of Kokeshi dolls. Originating in the Edo Period of Japan, these wooden dolls were crafted by Kijishi, and a group of Japanese artisans skilled in lathe work whose decorative styles were unique to each maker. Traditionally used as children’s toys, Kokeshi dolls also carry symbolic meaning like wishes for good luck, hopes for a bountiful harvest, and appreciation for craftsmanship and culture. With this history in mind, we invited participants to create their own Kokeshi-inspired dolls rooted in personal intention. Everyone took a few minutes to reflect on what they hope or wish for in their lives right now, letting those thoughts guide their color choices, facial expressions, and symbolic designs. Some dolls leaned traditional, others resembled loved ones, and some became small self‑portraits.

Community members went over what they were wishing for, where they planned to keep their doll, and of course, the names they chose for their creations. We closed the session with space for final questions and a brief preview of our next activity. Everyone left carrying a hand‑painted doll, a small and bright reminder of intention, optimism, and the power of creating something with care.

Mentorship 2.0 | A Panel Discussion

Last week’s mentorship session, Jasmine invited two photographers, Adri and Jamilla, to join our group and share the stories that shaped their careers. Both photographers started by introducing themselves and explaining how they started. Listening to them talk about their stories, the type of work they do, and personal experiences is a reminder that everyone’s creative path is different. They showed their websites and the work they have done; one photographer focused on family portraits, graduation portraits, corporate, and maternity photos. The other focused more on maternity, newborn, and family portraits.

The session ended with an open Q&A, and answered any questions the mentees had. Overall, this mentorship session went over pricing, confidence, networking, and experiences. Bringing in photographers who have walked this path for years was a great opportunity for the mentees to connect. We are grateful to Adri and Jamilla for sharing their time, their stories, and their knowledge.