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.

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.