Initiatives
Expressive Arts
We explore the power of creativity as a pathway for regulation, recovery, and belonging.
Our expressive arts programs focus on process, not product — offering trauma-informed, neuro-inclusive environments where creativity becomes a bridge back to self and connection.
Through guided art sessions, open studio time, and creative journaling, participants reconnect with emotion, story, and self-expression while also contributing to ongoing research in neuroplasticity and creative rewiring — how art literally helps the brain rebuild after trauma.
Through programs like Rooted Expression, this area supports the creation of equitable, inclusive art spaces where creativity is accessible to all.
Craft & Skill Development
This area builds accessible maker and trade-based learning as alternatives to traditional schooling and career paths.
Programs include workshops in sewing, mending, upcycling, jewelry, and other artisan crafts, along with wellness-oriented trainings that connect creativity and care.
We also provide online learning and free downloadable resources for those who can’t attend in person.
Through equitable tech education, artists learn to build their online presence using digital tools to sustain their work.
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Mentorship programs connect emerging creatives with experienced artists, fostering confidence, growth, and real-world skills.
Through initiatives such as Equitable Tech and Creative Mentorship, this area broadens access to learning and opportunity, helping artists and makers grow their practice sustainably.
Collaboration & Community
This initiative turns creative equity into action by developing equitable, inclusive events and vendor spaces that give artists, makers, and performers real opportunities to showcase their work.
We partner with community organizations, local venues, and creative professionals to expand access to markets, exhibitions, and performance opportunities that reflect the diversity of our community.
Through these collaborations, we strengthen creative ecosystems, promote fair representation, and make space for authentic connection through shared experience.
Programs like Bloom Bags extend this mission by bringing creative access and care resources directly to those who might otherwise be excluded from traditional spaces.
Research & Innovation
This initiative explores the intersection of creativity, accessibility, and technology to develop new approaches that make the arts more inclusive and effective as tools for healing and growth.
Our work includes research in neuroplasticity—how creative engagement helps the brain adapt and rebuild after trauma—and applied studies on how art practice supports emotional regulation and cognitive recovery.
We also examine the evolving relationship between technology and creativity, with a focus on ethical AI, digital accessibility, and sustainable creative practices.
By combining research with community-based innovation, we translate insight into action, sharing open resources and practical models that help artists, educators, and organizations build more equitable creative spaces.
Programs
This program is part of our Collaboration & Community Connection Initiative — nurturing creativity, compassion, and collective care across our communities.
Bloom Bags are care and creativity kits designed to support those who give care — and those who need a little extra care themselves. Each month, Common Root Collective delivers Bloom Bags to individuals in caregiving or community service roles, as well as to creatives who face barriers accessing traditional art programs, workshops, or supplies.
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These bags are a small but meaningful way to provide rest, reflection, and creative nourishment. They include self-care items, art materials, and mindful activity prompts tailored to the needs of caregivers, nonprofit workers, and members of the disability community.
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The goal of the Bloom Bags program is to make creative wellness accessible to everyone — especially those whose work, health, or circumstances often place their own needs last. By bringing these tools directly to the hands of caregivers and creatives, we help people reconnect with creativity as a form of healing, restoration, and joy.​
Creative Mentorship connects emerging artists, makers, and creatives with experienced professionals in their field to build skills, confidence, and real-world experience. The program supports both artistic and professional growth through guided learning, hands-on collaboration, and practical goal setting.
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Mentors provide individualized guidance in areas such as technique, creative process, portfolio development, event participation, and business fundamentals. Participants gain access to insight, resources, and connections that help them navigate creative industries more sustainably.
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Designed with accessibility and equity in mind, Creative Mentorship prioritizes participants who have faced barriers to traditional training or visibility in the arts. By linking experience with opportunity, the program helps strengthen local creative ecosystems and ensures diverse voices have the tools to thrive.
Rooted Expression is a community art initiative that invites artists and local creatives to explore themes of connection, joy, and endurance through expressive making. It is designed to reduce barriers to participation and create open, accessible platforms for people to exhibit work, collaborate, and engage with audiences. Rooted Expression values process over perfection, encouraging participants to respond to prompts, reflect on experience, and present work in inclusive formats that welcome a wide range of media and voices.
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Rooted Expression is currently seeking a partner venue and collaborators for its upcoming community-focused exhibition, where emerging and established creatives will present work together, supported by shared resources, artist talks, and public engagement opportunities.
The Lab is Common Root Collective’s space for exploration, testing, and forward-thinking creative research. It bridges lived experience, technology, and the arts to better understand how innovation can be both ethical and inclusive.
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Projects within The Lab examine topics such as neuroplasticity and creative recovery, the role of art in supporting neurodiversity and trauma healing, and the impact of emerging technologies on accessibility and equity. Our work on ethical versus non-ethical AI in creative spaces invites open conversation about authorship, representation, and responsible tool use.
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Through white papers, workshops, and community-based studies, The Lab transforms lived experience into applied research that informs creative education, accessibility design, and sustainable artistic practice. At its core, The Lab is about turning insight into action—developing creative methods that are as compassionate as they are innovative.
