WOW 365: How to Stay Human When the World Feels on Fire

This event is available for WOW 365 Members. Sign up here for access to this and dozens of other live and recorded events coming up in the coming months!

Traumatic events – and even the anticipation of them – can have a profound impact on our emotional wellbeing. Whether we are responding to conflict, climate change, pandemics, social division or uncertainty about the future, these shared experiences can create feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, grief and helplessness that ripple through entire communities.

In this creative workshop, we'll explore how we navigate the emotions that arise from lived, ongoing and imagined collective traumas. Together, we'll consider how our minds and bodies respond to uncertainty and learn practical ways to support ourselves when faced with fear, stress or persistent worry.

Through accessible creative exercises and guided reflection, participants will discover simple tools to strengthen resilience, regulate emotions and cultivate a greater sense of calm in everyday life. The session is designed to help you better understand your own responses while offering techniques you can return to whenever the world feels uncertain or overwhelming.

No artistic experience is needed. You won't be asked to create a masterpiece or share anything you're uncomfortable with. All you'll need is a blank piece of paper and a pen or pencil, along with a willingness to explore creativity as a gentle tool for mental wellbeing. Feel free to come with your camera on or off and participate in the way you're most comfortable with.

Topics explored include shared and collective experiences such as war and conflict, climate and ecological anxiety, pandemics, invisible or ongoing societal threats, social fracture, and concerns about the future. The focus is not on revisiting traumatic events themselves, but on building practical skills for navigating the emotions they can evoke.