I facilitated the Community Agreements art workshop for a group of individuals aged 30–57 with developmental, intellectual, and mental health needs. The participants shared the common experience of overcoming hurdles in order to integrate into their communities while living with diverse abilities.

One participant spoke about witnessing domestic violence between his roommates while living in a residential facility. Others shared experiences of being bullied because of their health conditions.

To begin the workshop, we established Community Agreements to create a space where participants could feel safe and supported as they stepped into this creative process together. I invited everyone to share what agreements would help them feel a sense of safety, wellness, and belonging as they came together for the first time as an art community. Participants named the importance of feeling safe from bullying as well as verbal and physical violence. One participant emphasized the need for inner peace and autonomy.

At the start of the session, one participant declined to join the group’s discussion and sat silently at a separate table, looking down for most of the workshop. By the end, however, she chose to create a square for our community agreement quilt. She drew an owl, symbolizing her choice to observe, witness, and listen.

Other participants used colors and symbols to represent their willingness to be present and to be a witness to the creative process of change and healing happening around them.

Since that first gathering, our community agreement quilt has continued to grow and evolve, reflecting the voices and values of a continually expanding community learning to support one another through creativity and care. It is displayed at each session to serve as a visual reminder of our shared commitment to creating a safe and brave space where every participant can connect with their thoughts, feelings, and needs, supported by those around them.