Invite one of Cara Bean’s workshops to your library, school, university, or organization!

In her workshops, Cara Bean emphasizes the therapeutic benefits of drawing, helping participants to relax, focus, and express themselves through drawing and comics. She provides practical techniques and exercises to develop drawing skills and boost creativity.​ Cara Bean’s purpose is to reduce stress, tap into creativity, and attend to the ideas of all participants. 

Workshops sessions are generally 1 hour to 90 minutes in length depending on the attention span and time restraints of your group.

Workshops are most successful with 4-25 participants and can potentially run from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on context, age, and attention span of our group.

MATERIALS:

-copy paper and sharpened pencils

-Digital projector with HDMI computer cables OR ability to connect to Smartboard and project a PowerPoint presentation. *Cara usually travels with her own Mac laptop and dongle converter. If your school should use their laptop and just have her bring her presentation on a thumb drive, please let her know.

-A microphone/amplification system is appreciated for any groups larger than 30 participants. Especially if it’s in an auditorium, multi-purpose room, gym, etc

SPACE ACCOMMODATIONS:

-either table tops or clipboards with chairs for all participants

WORKSHOP FEES:
Library: $350 per workshop*
School: $500 per workshop*
University or Professional Group: $1,500 per workshop
Camp Comics Series: $2,000

*Travel/accommodation costs not included.

The Mindful Drawing Workshop is the most versatile and popular program!

DESCRIPTION:
How does drawing lead to mindfulness? During this workshop, we focus on bringing every participant into the creative process, even the reluctant ones. By honoring all drawing types and easing into our exercises, art educator Cara Bean shows how even the smallest marks on paper have a lot to teach us about honoring ourselves, feeling creative, and connecting to everyone around us.

Do you like to tell stories with pictures and words? 

DESCRIPTION:
During this workshop, we’ll talk about the ins and outs of the comics-making process through a series of fun, easy prompts. Cartoonist Cara Bean will have you quickly filling panels with narration and imagery that will let your imagination come to life! 

Do you love comics? Do you want to make your very own comic book?

DESCRIPTION:
During this four-part, once-a-week workshop series, we’ll take a deep dive into the language of comics and graphic novels. Author and cartoonist Cara Bean will discuss creating a storyline, character development, setting and dialogue, and pulling it all together.

TESTIMONIALS:

“Cara has been an absolute pleasure to work with from the very beginning and her wonderful spirit and talent were shining so much! Our kids who all seemed very shy at first opened up to her and seemed to really enjoy themselves and their art.” —Cara Young, Children’s Librarian, Worcester Public Library

"I think the attendees left feeling really inspired and pumped to keep drawing."
— Meaghan Schwelm, Librarian, Adams Street Branch of the Boston Public Library

“Cara was so personable and encouraging with the participants. Overall, it was such an engaging and creative crowd-pleasing event.”
— Dianna McDevitt, Librarian, Hanson Public Library

“Great for all ages. Fun-filled using hands-on demonstrations.”
— Barbara Berler, President, Friends of the Jonathan Bourne Public Library

PREVIOUS WORKSHOP HOSTS:

An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Cafe, Plainville, MA

Athens Academy, Athen, GA

Atwater Library, North Branford, CT

Belmont Public Library, Belmont, MA

Blackhawk Middle School, Bensonville, IL

Boston Public Library, Adams Street Branch, Dorchester, MA

Boston Public Library, Faneuil Branch, Brighton, MA

Boston Public Library, Jamaica Plain Branch, MA

Boston Public Library, Lower Mills, Dorchester, MA

Boston Public Library, Mattapan Branch, Boston, MA

Bridges Homeward, Cambridge, MA

Cambridge Public Library, MA

Center for Cartoon Studies, White River Junction, VT

Chelmsford Public Library, Chelmsford MA

Comics and Medicine Conference, White River Junction, VT

Cromwell Belden Public Library, Cromwell, CT

Cumberland Public Library, Cumberland, RI

Darien Public Library, Darien, CT

DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln, MA

Downtown Arts Festival, Gainesville, FL

Edith Wheeler Memorial Library, Monroe, CT

Electric City Comic Con, Schenectady County Public Library, NY 

Elizabeth Taber Library, Marion, MA

Flushing Public Library, Queens, NY

Gleason Public Library, Carlisle, MA

Graphic Medicine Conference, Athlone, Ireland

Hanson Public Library, Hanson, MA

Harvard Radcliffe Institute, Cambridge, MA

Haverhill Public Library, Haverhill, MA

Jonathan Bourne Library, Pocasset, MA

Kaiser Permanente, CA

Lexington High School, Lexington, MA

Liminka School of Art, Limika, Finland

Mansfield Public Schools Professional Development, Mansfield, MA

Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo, Cambridge, MA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

Mattapoisett Public Library, Mattapoisett, MA

Millicent Library, Fairhaven, MA

Milne Public Library, Williamstown, MA

Morrill Memorial Library, Norwood, MA

Munroe Center for the Arts, Lexington, MA 

New London Public Library, New London, CT

New Milford Public Library, New Milford, CT

North Adams Public Library, North Adams, MA

North Providence High School, North, Providence, RI

Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library, Old Lyme, CN

Our Sisters’s School, New Bedford, MA

Plumb Memorial Library, Rochester, MA

Springfield Town Library, Springfield, VT

Stanford University, Stanford, CA

University of Omaha, Omaha, NE

Wallingford Public Library, Wallingford, CT

Welles-Turner Memorial Library, Glastonbury, CT

Worcester Arts Magnet School, Worcester, MA

Worcester Public Library, Worcester, MA