flintOpia wOrkshOp / Lena edlinger
Youtopian Meidling event-series: Creative empowerment workshop
EU Solidarity Corps project
“From Vision To Wall“ FLINTopia workshop series continue!
This workshop combined automatic writing and creative expression to make personal utopias visible. In a non-judgmental, art-therapeutically guided space, participants created individual artworks using printmaking and collage techniques.
Expression, the joy of creation, and self-efficacy were the focus here.
The creative process started with an Automatic Writing to warm up. The participants were invited to write down anything that spontaneously came to mind, without judgment, correction, or attempting to connect the ideas. The goal here is to capture impulsive inner images, feelings, and associations that will serve as inspiration for the artwork. Sensory prompts: What do I dream about? How does my personal utopia feel? What colors, shapes, sounds, or smells come to mind? Who am I in my utopia? How can I be there?
Creative Phase: Image Design. Transition to visual work with the central theme "My Utopia." For orientation, when visualizing Youtopia, the participants were invited to focus on ideas that arose during the writing process or on the feelings in the utopia, concrete desires, one's own self in the utopia. Using simple printing and collage techniques, working with acrylic paints, pastels, and other collage materials, the participants brought their ideas to life. The focus was on self-expression, self-efficacy, experimenting without pressure or judgment, and inner harmony.
The workshop concluded with a Moment of Reflection and focus on the artworks. Each person was invited to choose a wish, thought, or quality from their utopia that they would like to share with the world or with their own life.
We invite you too, dear friends, to reflect on a question: What is your utopia and which part of it would you like to share with the world?
“This wish does not need to be spoken. The goal is to consciously take away an empowering, relatable aspect” — Lena Edlinger.
