College Visits
On occasion I receive invitations to visit universities. I enjoy meeting students and nurturing creative conversations about the potential of what comics can do.
MIT, MASSACHUSETTS, 2023
I was recently invited to join the anthropology class of Graham Jones to lead his students through some creative exercises in mindful cartooning.
Photo Credit: Graham Jones
THE UNIVERSITY OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, 2022
I was honored to be invited to visit with cartoonist, Caitlin Cass and her illustration students. This was my first traveling experiencing since the pandemic began. It was great to connect with students in our masked, in-person workshop. Later in the evening I presented a lecture about comics about mental health to participants in person and virtually.
Photo by Caitlin Cass, 2022.
THE LIMINKA SCHOOL OF ART, FINLAND, 2018
My visit to the Liminka School was part of my Oulu Comics Art Center Residency. I spent two months working on my own comics at the school and was invited to teach a workshop on mental health comics to the students. Here are some images taken by host, artist and teacher, Tessa Astre.
INTEGRATED ENERGY DOODLE COMPOSITION (One of several that we created together.)
My example for an exercise in drawing different versions of selves. (The participants created some stellar characters.)
Some examples of “selves”.
Students produced one page comic booklets about defeating negative thoughts. They demonstrated honesty and good humor despite difficult subject matter.
A Cover to a mental illness anthology that we compiled as a final project.
STANFORD UNIVERSITY, California, April 2018
Students draw and sketch in an open and relaxed environment that is meant to help manage anxiety. We explore a conversation about the mental benefits of drawing and then begin completing a series of simple prompts to allow a flow state of mind and inspire the imagination.
Students collected at random to doodle and express ideas. It was a low key social event and a nice place to relax.