In the midst of devastating wildfires in LA County, I facilitated an art workshop for staff and students in grades 1-5 to help them explore their emotions through creativity. The fires had left many students and staff grappling with fear, sadness, and uncertainty, and the workshop offered a safe space for emotional expression and connection.
I adapted the Shifting the Lens workshop, originally created by my former colleague Sally Stevens, because it offered participants an opportunity to reflect on and process the range of emotions they might be experiencing. We invited them to create kaleidoscopes—a symbolic way to explore the ever-changing emotions they were experiencing. The activity resonated deeply. One third-grader, Milo, eagerly shared his kaleidoscope, saying, “These are all the emotions I’ve experienced in the last few days.” His creation reflected a spectrum of feelings, from anger and anxiety to happiness and hope. A student in the 2nd grade shared, “On Wednesday, I didn’t go to school. We stayed home, but I was so scared because my mommy kept watching her phone to see if we had to evacuate. I was really sad and cried.” Another second-grader, expressed how sad she was that she had to be indoors due to the air quality outside.
The staff also colored their kaleidoscopes and reflected on the emotions they’ve experienced over the past several days. We delved deeper into our feelings, asking each other, “What does it mean when we feel good about helping others?” We identified “fulfilled” as a fitting word to describe that emotion. This sparked meaningful conversations where we explored the wide range of emotions we were all experiencing and allowed ourselves to fully lean into that shared reflection.
For the adults present, the workshop fostered an unexpected sense of unity. Witnessing the children’s openness served as a reminder that none of us were alone during this challenging time.
We encouraged the students to take their kaleidoscopes home and share them with their families. Some later shared that their artwork sparked meaningful conversations with their caregivers about the impact of the wildfires.
My hope is that everyone left with a clear understanding that all their emotions are valid and a natural response to the challenges around them. I also hope that when they feel overwhelmed in the future, they’ll take a moment to draw, color, or use art as a way to express and process their feelings, as we continue to recover from the wildfires.
