Join cartoonist Cara Bean in this hands-on, visual thinking, mindfulness workshop. Cara walks participants through a series of creative exercises intended to lessen anxiety, build confidence, and grow creativity. Together, you’ll go over the basics of communicative drawing (stick figures allowed!) and develop the skills needed to doodle as a form of play and problem-solving. All ages are welcome, and no prior art experience is required.

Workshop Benefits:

● Tap into your artistic self - accept that doodling is always available for everyone - embrace the unique way that we draw

● Activate your innate brain power- stimulate free-thinking - foster creativity

● Experience mindfulness- reduce stress- improve concentration

● Build community- give and receive peer encouragement- make personal connections

The Teen Summer Reading Program is generously supported by the Groton Public Library Endowment Trust.

Cartoonist and art educator Cara Bean is the author of Draw 500 Funny Faces and Features and Let’s Talk About It: A Graphic Guide to Mental Health (free to download here). Cara is passionate about drawing and believes that the simple act of doodling on paper can lead to the investigation of complex ideas. An art teacher for thirteen years at Lexington High School, Cara holds an MFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of Washington in Seattle and received a certificate in cartooning from the Sequential Artists Workshop in Gainesville, Florida. She is currently working on a long-form graphic work which speaks directly to kids about mental health.