Creativity & Connection

Art of Belonging Conference - Yakima, WA

This week, I had the joy of co-facilitating three workshops at the Art of Belonging conference alongside my friend and colleague, Taylor Birdtail, founder of RedUrban. This gathering brought together educators, artists, and advocates from across Washington (and beyond) to explore how the arts can foster connection, healing, and a sense of belonging in migrant education programs.

Participants collect supplies for their affirmation cards.

Our Workshops

Throughout the conference, we invited participants into hands-on creative spaces where art became a pathway to belonging. Each session blended reflection, play, and community building, giving educators and advocates practical tools they could take back to their own classrooms and organizations. Here’s a closer look at the workshops we shared:

Collective Wellbeing: Affirmation Deck
Participants designed their own affirmation cards, contributing to a Collective Wellbeing Deck created from voices across Washington (and a few from out of state!). This growing collection can serve as conversation starters, reflection prompts, or daily encouragement in classrooms, staff meetings, and community gatherings.

Wellbeing Zines: Creative Expression for Connection, Belonging & Care We facilitated this workshop twice during the conference, giving more participants a chance to dive into the world of zines. These small, handmade booklets are powerful tools for self-expression and storytelling. Using collage, drawing, and writing, participants created zines reflecting on what belonging and care mean in their own contexts.

A view of the conference room, set to “You Make Me Happy” by Young Spirit

Lesson Plans & Open Resources

I believe tools that make the world a better place should be shared openly; not hoarded. That’s why I make many of the resources I create, including these lesson plans, freely available so participants can bring these practices to their own classrooms, organizations, or communities.

You can download the Collective Affirmation Deck lesson plan and the Wellbeing Zine lesson plan from my website: maticreative.com/resources

Why This Work Matters

These workshops aren’t just about making art; they are about making space. Space where people feel seen, heard, and valued. Space for joy that lifts the spirit, vulnerability that builds trust, cultural connection that affirms identity, and the deep belief that creativity can bridge divides.

This work is always essential, but right now it feels urgent. This conference was intentionally centered on migrant education and the experiences of immigrant families. Immigrants and migrant families are facing growing challenges, and the need for spaces that affirm their voices, honor their stories, and strengthen community bonds has never been greater.

The truth is that immigrants are not alone in this experience of being targeted and marginalized. Indigenous peoples, and many other communities as well, continue to face systemic harm. Naming this does not diminish the struggles of immigrant families. Instead, it reminds us that the fight for justice and belonging is interconnected.

I deeply appreciate Taylor’s ability to call this out without minimizing the immigrant experience. Many Central and South American “immigrants” are Indigenous themselves, and even when they are not, all of our liberation is tied together. Taylor reminded us that grounding this work in truth, respect, and reciprocity is not optional, it is essential.

When we give people the tools to express themselves, we are not just handing over paint, paper, or pens. We are offering pathways to connection, healing, and belonging. Art becomes both the language and the bridge.

The affirmation cards and zines created in these sessions are proof of that. Each one is a small but powerful testament to belonging, ready to continue the conversation long after the conference. And these are just a glimpse; many more creations went home with their makers to inspire others in new spaces.

Belonging Beyond the Conference

Stay tuned because the Collective Affirmation Deck itself will soon be available as a free, printable PDF so anyone can download, print, and use it! Be sure you are on my mailing list so that you receive a notification as soon as the deck is ready.

Each of these pieces, whether it is a zine or a card in the affirmation deck, will live on to bring joy, love, or humor to someone who needs it. As adrienne maree brown says, “The healing of our own hearts is the key to healing the world. Our personal transformations are not separate from the collective.”

In this way, the art we made together doesn’t just end when the conference does; it carries forward the Art of Belonging, one connection at a time.

Gratitude

The OSPI Migrant & Arts Education Programs team pulled together such a thoughtful and inclusive conference, and the energy participants brought into our sessions made the experience what it was. Jennifer and Josh at the Washington Art Educators Association (WAEA) helped open the door for us to be part of this gathering, and I’m glad to now be a proud member of WAEA.

Our workshops were also enriched by the influence of Hanncel Sanchez and Kiantha Duncan. Hanncel’s Spanish/English affirmation cards highlighted the power of language in belonging, while Kiantha’s book Excavating The Soul: A Journey Through Trauma Informed Healing sparked reflection and conversation that rippled through the room. Their work reminded us that creativity often begins with inspiration from others.

Behind the scenes, my husband Jeremy was our unofficial roadie—driving, hauling supplies, and making sure the little things didn’t fall through the cracks. His quiet support kept the whole show running.

And then there’s Taylor, whose humor, insight, and creativity shaped every session we led together. She invited us to look honestly at the impact of Western systems and colonization, while also imagining belonging rooted in truth, reciprocity, and Indigenous knowledge. Sharing this work with her was both grounding and joyful.

Here’s to carrying that spirit of creativity and connection forward!

ευχαριστώ (Greek), lim’lm’tx (Colville Salish)

Taylor and I smiling after our first day of sessions; tired, happy, and deeply inspired.

See more photos from the Art of Belonging conference on Instagram: @alexpconsulting