HOPE Series | Self and Nature Connection Through Eco-Art Therapy

About the HOPE Series:
Created in 2020 at the start of the pandemic, this free, online series supports the resilience of our global community through social emotional arts. In accordance with our mission, with this series we aim to enhance the innate social-emotional benefits of the arts with supportive practices, such as non-judgmental language and reflection, for self-discovery, connection, and empowerment.
Learn more: bit.ly/3Z4dix0
About the Session:
Using sensory exploration, natural elements, and expressive arts, this experiential workshop explores how nature can aid in shifting our inner dialogue and building resilience. Using the principles of eco-art therapy, we’ll find commonalities of characteristics with natural elements, create inspired imagery, and write, reflect, and share written pieces that deepen our identification with ourselves and the natural world.
About the Instructor:
Marién Peña is an artist and educator born in Puerto Rico and holds a PhD in Eco-Art Therapy/ Applied Ecopsychology from Akamai University, and she is certified as an expressive arts facilitator. In 2011, Marién founded Art for Living, a non-profit that provided art as medicine for adults with Alzheimer’s and is currently the owner of HEART Centered, an art studio that provides eco-art therapy and expressive arts facilitation for individuals and groups. Marién has spent her life educating others in the use of art and nature as a healing tool for stress, self-care, anxiety, and stagnation.
This series is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture.