Promoting a culture of dialogue, adaptation, and resilience among Colombians living abroad by creating safe conversational spaces that strengthen identity, emotional support, and community connection.

Mindfulness Workshop – Technical Sheet

Workshop Title:

Painting and Drawing with Coffee: Art Therapy and Mindfulness

General Objective:

To promote emotional healing, stress regulation, and creative expression through coffee as an artistic material and sensory tool, fostering cultural connection, resilience, dialogue spaces, and community cohesion.

Specific Objectives:

1. Facilitate non-verbal emotional expression through painting and drawing with coffee, allowing participants to explore emotions in a safe and symbolic way.
2. Stimulate mindful presence and nervous system regulation through mindfulness practices integrated into the creative process.
3. Strengthen cultural identity and community bonds through shared experiences rooted in culturally meaningful materials and collective creation.
4. Foster empathy, active listening, and validation among participants through reflection and respectful sharing.
5. Transform difficult experiences into symbols of strength and hope using narrative and visual expression.

Target Population:

• Children (ages 6–12): Simple drawing and coloring activities with a playful and sensory focus that support emotional expression and creativity.
• Migrant Women (ages 18–60): Visual narrative and emotional expression activities integrating migration experiences, resilience, and cultural memory.
• Older Adults (ages 60+): Activities that stimulate memory, fine motor skills, and reflection on identity and life, adapted to physical and cognitive abilities.

Expected Benefits:

• Reduction of stress and anxiety through calming sensory and mindful practices.
• Emotional regulation and mindfulness supported by creative focus and guided reflection.
• Strengthened sense of belonging and cultural identity through shared cultural expression.
• Stimulation of creativity and symbolic expression as tools for meaning-making.
• Promotion of empathy, active listening, and community cohesion through group interaction.
• Transformation of pain or difficult experiences into symbols of resilience and hope.

Duration:

• 60–90 minutes, flexible depending on group size, age, and context.

Materials:

• Instant and ground coffee with hot and cold water for dilution and tonal variation.
• Brushes, sponges, droppers, and palettes to explore texture and movement.
• Drawing paper or sturdy cardstock suitable for wet media.
• Aprons or protective clothing to ensure comfort and freedom of movement.
• Towels or napkins for cleaning and practical support.
• Optional soft music to enhance the mindfulness atmosphere.

Workshop Activities

1. Painting and Drawing with Coffee
   Create artwork using coffee diluted in various shades.
   Nonverbal expression, creativity, and emotions.
   Children: free drawing and color games; Adults: personal narratives; Women: symbolizing migration experiences; Seniors: memories and symbols of life.
2. Reflective Pause
   Conscious observation of the artwork and self-reflection.
   Integrate the emotional experience.
   Children: sharing colors or emotions; Adults: guided reflection; Women: connecting emotions with personal history; Seniors: sharing memories and emotions.
3. Voluntary Sharing
   Presentation of artworks in a circle, active listening.
   Foster empathy, validation, and community cohesion.
   Children: telling a simple story about their drawing; Adults: emotional narrative; Women: sharing migration experiences; Seniors: life stories and cultural memory.
4. Mindful Closing
   Breathing, final intention, and collective gratitude.
   Reinforce calm, gratitude, and a sense of community. All groups: breathing, sharing a positive word or emotion, closing with gratitude.