Intentional communities thrive on shared vision, collaboration, and the capacity to navigate complexity together. Yet the challenges we face today—social, ecological, and organizational—often outstrip the limits of linear, text-based problem-solving. This workshop invites participants to rediscover one of humanity’s oldest collaborative practices: drawing as a way of thinking together.

We’ll explore how simple visual tools can make complexity visible, foster deeper understanding, and unlock collective creativity. Beginning with a brief journey through ancient visual symbols—circles, spirals, arrows, and labyrinths—participants will see how these elemental forms once guided shared meaning-making and collective action across cultures. From there, we’ll connect ancient insight to modern application, demonstrating how visual thinking can help communities clarify purpose, map relationships, and design more resilient systems.

Through a mix of live demonstrations and hands-on exercises using a 50-card deck of Visual Thinking Strategies (developed by Iryna for collaborative problem-solving), participants will learn practical ways to apply visual frameworks to real community challenges—from decision-making and conflict navigation to project design and group reflection.

Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how drawing can serve as a catalyst for clarity, creativity, and connection. The workshop’s central principle is simple yet transformative: if we can draw a problem together, we can solve it together.