Curious about how emotions shape our experiences and connect us to ourselves and others? Do you want to tap into your creativity and explore new ways of self-expression?

We invite you to an engaging, hands-on art-activation series. Through interactive workshops combining art-making, storytelling, and cartography, you'll map your relationships to yourself, others, the land, and your communities. This is a chance to water new perspectives, creativity, and grow meaningful connections along the way.

Who Can Join? This cohort is for adults (18+) of all backgrounds. Whether you're a seasoned artist or completely new to creative practices, you’re welcome here.

• Dates & Times: March 15th - April 12th, Saturdays 1-3 pm, followed by refreshment 

• Location: Alternative Creation Studios (1659 Venables St, Vancouver, BC V5L 2H1)

• Cost: Free! This Cohort is sponsored by Curiko, PosAbilities, BACI and Kinsight as a way to promote meaningful ways neighbours can share knowledge and build community.

• Group Size: Limited to 15 participants to keep things intimate and engaging.

Answer a few questions on this VideoAsk survey by clicking the purple button in this video to see if this cohort is the right fit for you!

Use the prompt to share what you're curious about, any questions you might have, or details that could help us support you—like accessibility needs or what makes you feel empowered to create a rich experience.

Once you've completed the VideoAsk, Courtney and I will reach out to answer your questions and guide you through the next steps. Spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so don’t wait too long!

Background

We’ve all heard people describe their feelings in ways that connect to their bodies. Someone might say, “My heart hurts” when they feel sad, or “I have butterflies in my stomach” when they’re nervous. When joy overflows, we often say, “It feels like my chest is going to burst!” These expressions have been part of our language for a long time, but are they just figures of speech? Or is there something deeper at play? More and more scientists believe there’s a real connection.

In a study called Bodily Maps of Emotions, over 700 people were asked to color where they felt emotions on a blank body outline. The results were fascinating—people reported feeling emotions in similar places across the body. This, along with research on the Mind-Body Connection, shows how emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations are all closely linked. In simple terms: what we feel emotionally impacts our bodies, and our physical state can influence our emotions and thoughts too.

What to Expect

Over the course of five weeks, we’ll dive into:

• Emotion Mapping: Discover where and how emotions live in your body.

• Creative Exploration: Use art to give shape, color, and form to your inner world.

• Meaningful Conversations: Share and listen in a safe, supportive environment.

• Collaborative Projects: Work together to create a shared, collective body map of emotions.

No prior art experience is needed and all materials will be provided—just come with an open mind and a willingness to explore!

Some of the tools we’ll be working with include “data collectors” which will guide us in exploring our senses week by week. Through this, we’ll discover places where we feel rooted, connected to nature, our communities, and even the unfamiliar. Participants are welcome to use as many—or as few—of the provided materials, freely interpreting, cutting, and gluing as they reflect their unique experiences. This process encourages us to notice and document the often-overlooked details of our daily lives.

Another key tool will be a collective map that we’ll build together each week. Starting with a large base map centered around the emotions we’d like to explore, we’ll add to it layer by layer, uncovering new perspectives and shared experiences as the weeks unfold.

Finally, we’ll engage in somatic body mapping, a tool to help us connect the dots between our experiences and expressions. This practice will allow us to zoom out and observe the deeper connections and patterns emerging throughout our journey together.

Why Join?

• Discover Yourself: Build self-awareness by exploring your emotions and stories in a creative, reflective space.

• Connect with Others: Form authentic connections with like-minded individuals through shared experiences.

• Practice Creativity: Experiment with artistic tools and techniques that allow you to express yourself in new ways.

• Be Part of Something Bigger: Contribute to a unique, collective art project that reflects the diverse emotional experiences of the group.

How to Sign Up

Ready to join the journey? We will be accepting folks on a first-come, first-served basis—but spots are limited, so tell us a little more about yourself through our VideoAsk survey and Courtney and I will follow up with the next steps!

During our chat (via your preferred method: Zoom, phone or email), we’ll:

• Answer any questions you might have about the series.

• Hear about what you'd like to gain from the experience.

• Discuss any concerns you have or support you might need so we can provide them to the best of our abilities.

Meet Your Facilitators

Allison Chow
Hi, I’m Allison! I’m a community-taught artist and facilitator, and my passion is using art to ask life’s big questions and make meaning from the always surprising answers. I’ve been lucky enough to host my projects like “The Comunal Poetry Machine” and the “Talking to Strangers” art and conversation making game on the ancestral, and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations where I live and work.  

For me, art is a powerful modality for research—experimenting with the way things fit together in a pluralistic world. It is a method of deeply knowing ourselves through introspection that tends to the garden of our spirits. It carves the trails to climb life’s most daunting peaks and levels out valleys so dreams can become reality. With a background in human-centered design and years of experience working with different communities, much of my practice revolves around belonging and how we might create spaces together where people can explore their emotions, share stories, and tap into their innate creativity.

Courtney Pankratz

Courtney is an evaluation and research consultant who has worn many hats in community, including kitchen volunteer, front line worker, crisis line operator, community facilitator, and knowledge broker. She is driven by a want to live deeply and purposefully and is curious how art can act as a connector and guide. In meeting Allison, Courtney was introduced to the idea of the ‘Believing Mirror’ to describe the importance of having people in our lives who believe in our vision and what we are capable of. Relatedly, research and evaluation can mirror back to us the gifts that are witnessed and cultivated through process. She believes that research and evaluation can offer a place to pause and reflect on our personal and shared experiences.  They can allow us to learn, be heard, gain clarity, gather insights, go deeper, and understand the bigger picture.  For all these reasons, Courtney is excited to step into this experience with you and help to gather the gifts generated through this shared process.  

What to Bring

The most important thing to bring is you—your wonderful self!

At times, we’ll be lying on large sheets of paper on the floor. If that sounds like your thing, feel free to bring a yoga mat or cushion for extra comfort (we’ll also have some available on-site). The studio can get quite toasty, so dressing in layers you can easily peel off is a good idea.

If lying on the floor isn’t comfortable for you, no problem at all! You’re welcome to explore a seated or standing version of the activity instead.

The gallery is located on the ground level, and all areas, including the two bathrooms, are wheelchair accessible. Service animals are welcomed with open arms, and you’re welcome to bring anything else that might make your time with us more comfortable and meaningful.

If you have any questions or ideas about how we can make this experience more accessible or enjoyable for you, let us know in the VideoAsk form. In the meantime here’s a few shots from previous events in the gallery space and a short video.

The Big Ideas

Courtney and I are both big community well-being nerds. The practices we’ll be exploring together in this cohort are inspired by a mix of voices—Brené Brown’s research on emotions, Hilary L. McBride’s transformative work in The Wisdom of the Body, the evocative “data art” of Giorgia Lupi, and the passion of so many other somatic workers, psychologists, artists, and dear friends. At its core, our work is grounded in a deep belief: we have what it takes to heal each other. We have what it takes to create spaces where we can keep each other safe, well, and flourishing.

Recently, I was especially moved by Martin Brokenleg and Steve Van Bockern’s work, The Science of Raising Courageous Kids, which introduces the concept of “The Circle of Courage.” This idea emerged from a comparison between child-rearing practices in Western and Native American cultures. At a time when European cultures treated children as property, many tribal cultures regarded them as spiritual creations. The Circle of Courage emphasizes the universal need to cultivate belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity, all rooted in resilience and deep respect for human dignity.

On a personal level, I’ve spent the last two years deeply reflecting on what it means to be well. I’ve had moments where I barely recognized the husk staring back at me in the mirror—tired, sad, and disconnected from the life and body I inhabit. Art became the language of my subconscious mind, gently guiding me home. It helped me dare face where I’ve silenced my voice or acted out of survival rather than authenticity.

Calling myself a “community-taught artist” feels right because my growth has been shaped by so many wise and generous voices. These voices helped me see beyond old narratives and create space for something new. Sharing my practice “Talking to Strangers” at Slice of Life for a year became a ritual of noticing—of asking what I want and of creating kind spaces to witness others becoming. It was about nurturing the wisps of new possibilities together.

The Circle of Courage gave words to something I’ve observed in my practice over and over again: our inherent need to belong, to grow, to stand on our own, and to give back. It made me wonder what could happen if we created more spaces to grow—independently and together—with vulnerability, courage, and dignity. What if we approached broken circles of belonging with tenderness? What if, in a world so often defined by division, we could slow down and soften, tending to the possibilities of what could be?

I don’t have all the answers, but I do know this: I want to walk this path with curiosity and hope, and I invite you to join me. Together, we’ll practice noticing, tending, and becoming.

xoxo,