Friday Night + Free Art Workshop + Community
Dear Readers,
It is no small task to navigate life these days. Taking breaks to be present to ourselves, to check in, and to play is extraordinarily important for self-care, right? Being in community, being present, checking in, and playing, is another layer to reinforce the ever-needed art of radical self-care (Lorde).
Join us and practice these arts with a short, free workshop and join the 300+ people who have already taken part in the Downtown TC Community Mural.
This Friday, November 21st,
come spend a little time in community,
being curious,
making art,
and exploring emotions.
Plus, a bonus: when you’re done, you can grab some groceries.
The workshop process can take as little as 15 minutes and, yes, you can bring friends or participate with that friend that’s always on board: YOU! Fact: We’d really love to see you. Scroll down for workshop time and place!
Wondering what the mural project is all about?
We've gathered some of the most common questions we’ve heard at workshops, so far:
“How long is this gonna take?”
—Asked by the husband who wanted to know how long he had to wait. He ended up painting too, and his wife laughed that he took so long.
This is the best part: it's up to you. Exploring the prompts can take from a few minutes to much longer, if you want to go slow. We suggest painting “quickly” without overthinking, but some people like to take their time. We found that, on average, the process takes about 15 minutes.
—A patron at Downtown TC Art Fair
This project is not about being an artist. It’s about breathing and trusting, and playing. We could all use a bit of that, couldn’t we? Really, all you need to participate is curiosity. You show up, and we take care of the rest. As we love to say, the only person who isn’t an artist is a person who doesn’t try…
“Who is designing the finished mural?”
—Asked a bunch of people
That is a good question. In a sense, everyone who participates is designing the piece. As far as the final installation, our graphic design lead, Sonja, has been digitizing and organizing, and laying out participants’ watercolor paintings. She uses Procreate to imagine possibilities and then Miro to gather ideas to share with teams.
—Asked a bunch of people
You and the 300+ other curious people who have participated so far! Look Wonder Discover is facilitating the experience design (the research + workshops) and final mural design. We’re partnering with Downtown Traverse City Association and Crooked Tree Arts Center, and a bunch of lovely sponsors to make this project possible.
“What if I mess up, can I start over?”
—Participant at Up North Pride event
Mistakes are part of the process. The LWD team has more material on hand in the case of an oopsie. And there is at least one person at each event who is trained in art education or a capital A-artist who can help you if you want to fix the piece you’ve already started.
—Asked a bunch of people
Good news, if you’re getting this email, you’re in the right place! The next step is to lay out the mural, ship it to the printer, and install it. We’ll keep everyone updated re: the mural opening. So keep your eye out for upcoming newsletters. And if you know someone who wants to hear what’s next, tell them to sign up for this newsletter here.
“Will there be room for my service dog?”
—Participant at Downtown Art Fair
Yes. We always make room for service animals; in fact, we welcome and celebrate them!
—Participant at Crooked Tree Art Center event
Of course, the more times the merrier. There is one person who has come to all of the events so far!
“I want to paint something else.”
—Said a delightful young human who said she wanted Urse to have her finished art.
The interaction design for the mural was cultivated to engage our inner emotions and creativity to bubble and simmer into the art that will populate the mural. There are five prompts and six colors to engage with, using only shape, color, and shading with watercolor. Curious? Come and learn more. We will share all of the research design within the project next year! We did encourage this young one, who asked the question, to trust inspiration and gave her an additional canvas to explore! And look at this loveliness she crafted.
—Participant at Up North Pride event
No, it’s free! There are options to donate and/or buy a limited-edition art print of the final mural at the end of the experience, but taking part is completely free.
If you would like a print but cannot afford it, come talk to us: we've got options!
The Workshop Details:
November 21st, 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Oryana West’s Community Room
3587 Marketplace Cir, Traverse City, MI 49684
No sign-up or creative experience needed—drop in anytime between 4:30 and 7:30 to create, connect, and play!
Giant thanks to Oryana for being a mural sponsor!
Pre-order a Limited Edition Mural Print
Can't make it? We still have some radical self-care for you, too!
Get to know yourself and your emotions anytime. Explore the magic of Abby VanMuijen: their work have made a huge impression on us, and the practice of checking in with what and where we're feeling has become balm in these tumultuous days.
Visit Abby, invest in their art, and tell them LWD said "Hi".
What’s Next!
Mural Opening:
Mid January 2026, details coming soon! Stay tuned.
Shifting Attention:
Our focus, as always, is on curiosity and restoring our attention. Both play parts in our capacity to be present enough to engage deeply in the ever-changing world and to learn, unlearn, and relearn.
In a continued effort to take back our time and attention, LWD is leaving meta and twitter/x platforms, we’ll share more as we go.
With Curiosity,
Sonja, Nadia, and Urse
References:
Gartside, Mary. An Essay on a New Theory of Colours, and on Composition in General . T. Gardiner, Princes-Street, 1808. (view)
Lorde, Audre. A Burst of Light: And Other Essays. Ixia Press. 2021. (borrow/buy)
VanMuijen, Abby. A Vanmuijen Emotion Wheel. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.