Apotheosis at Petrichor: Expressive Arts & Role-Playing Workshop

"Explore infinite creativity, courage, and connection through story, art, and play."

Embark on an epic D&D campaign and educational experience where immersive gameplay meets creative exploration and self-healing through art. Join a fellowship of adventurers on a quest to unearth your inner hero as you traverse enchanted realms, face challenges, and transform obstacles into opportunities for growth. Through collaborative quests, expressive art-making, and reflective storytelling, you'll learn practical techniques to foster self-healing and resilience.

Gather at Petrichor Collective (131 E Lincoln Ave Ste C) for a unique, immersive experience where storytelling, art, and imagination converge. Through dice rolls, psychodrama, writing, movement and brushstrokes, explore creative renewal in an inclusive space designed to spark collaboration and self-expression. Learn more at petrichorcollective.com.

Group is designed to be a full length D&D campaign. A typical Dungeons & Dragons campaign can last anywhere from several months to a year or more depending on the length of the story, how often the group plays (usually weekly).

People can join anytime until group is full.

Step into Petrichor Collective (131 E Lincoln Ave Ste C), a welcoming space where creativity, collaboration, and renewal come to life. Like the scent of rain on dry earth, Petrichor Collective revitalizes artistic expression through an eclectic community of designers, writers, artists, and storytellers.

This event is presented in partnership with Lonely Mountain Therapy, where expressive arts, therapeutic role-playing, and mindfulness come together to support personal growth and healing. At this unique gathering, every dice roll and brushstroke becomes a step in your personal and creative journey. Whether you're seeking inspiration, meaningful connection, or a space to explore storytelling and art, or to spark inspiration, this experience fosters imagination, self-discovery, and resilience in an environment where everyone belongs.

A creative wound is the inner pain, fear, or doubt that blocks a person’s ability to express themselves authentically. It often stems from past criticism, societal expectations, or personal experiences that made someone feel their creativity wasn’t valuable or “good enough.” In Expressive Arts Therapy, healing a creative wound involves safe, judgment-free exploration through art, storytelling, movement, or music—allowing individuals to reclaim their voice, process emotions, and rebuild confidence in their self-expression.

Don't let creative wounds hold you back, immerse yourself in this transformative experience. Learn more at petrichorcollective.com and lonelymountaintherapy.com.

While this workshop is not therapy, it draws from and incorporates expressive arts therapy practices, using art, movement, writing, and mindfulness as tools for self-healing and creative growth. This is an art collective experience rather than a therapy group, offering participants the freedom to engage in imaginative storytelling and artistic exploration in a supportive and inspiring community space.

Each session invites participants to step into a narrative adventure using Dungeons & Dragons: Planescape - The Infinite Staircase, where the game’s unfolding story mirrors internal creative and emotional journeys. Participants will be guided through structured prompts and exercises that encourage self-reflection, executive functioning skill-building, and artistic expression, fostering a deeper connection to creativity and personal insight.

The name Apotheosis at Petrichor is deeply symbolic, drawing from classical philosophy, mythology, and natural renewal. It represents the journey of transformation, creation, and inspiration, themes that are central to this expressive arts and storytelling workshop.

Apotheosis comes from ancient Greek, meaning to become divine or ascend to a higher state. In mythology and literature, apotheosis represents a moment of profound realization and transformation, when the hero in a story integrates wisdom, experience, and struggle to overcome their greatest challenge. This workshop embraces apotheosis as a metaphor for creative empowerment, inviting participants to explore the infinite potential within themselves through art, storytelling, and imaginative play.

Apoiesis is a variation of poiesis, an ancient Greek term meaning to make or bring something into being. In philosophy, poiesis refers to the act of creation, whether in art, storytelling, self-expression, or personal growth. Where apotheosis is about transcendence, apoiesis is about the creative journey itself, the process of becoming, of shaping oneself through imagination and artistic expression. Participants in this workshop engage in apoiesis through storytelling, role-playing, and expressive arts, shaping new narratives and possibilities both in the game world and within themselves.

Petrichor comes from the Greek words petra, meaning stone, and ichor, the ethereal fluid that flows through the veins of the gods in mythology. It describes the earthy scent that rises from dry ground when rain first begins to fall, a scent that signals renewal, life, and creativity awakening after a dry spell. In this workshop, petrichor represents the creative spark, the moment when inspiration returns and growth begins again. Just as rain revives the earth, art, storytelling, and play revive creativity, bringing new ideas and possibilities into being.

Together, apotheosis, apoiesis, and petrichor create a thematic framework that encourages transformation, creative expression, and renewal, making this workshop a place for deep imaginative exploration and personal growth.

The Infinite Staircase is more than just a Planescape setting. It is a metaphor for creativity, growth, and transformation. This dreamlike expanse stretches beyond time and space, where each door leads to new adventures, personal challenges, and untapped potential. Through the official Dungeons & Dragons module Quests from the Infinite Staircase, participants will explore six legendary D&D adventures, each tied to a key aspect of executive functioning and creative development.

• Zero Session – Establishing safety, group cohesion, and the foundation for collaborative storytelling.
• Cloudbursting Shadows – Overcoming executive dysfunction, creative stagnation, and the crisis of inaction through art, team-building, problem-solving, and collective resilience.
• The Lost City – Exploring identity, belonging, and rediscovering creativity.
• When a Star Falls – Embracing change, uncertainty, and shifting perspectives.
• Beyond the Crystal Cave – Understanding emotions, relationships, and personal narratives.
• Pharaoh – Cultivating resilience, adapting to challenges, and reclaiming agency.
• The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth – Confronting hidden truths, past experiences, and personal strength.
• Expedition to the Barrier Peaks – Engaging with problem-solving, innovation, and creative flexibility.

Each adventure is a doorway, offering new insights, challenges, and opportunities to develop executive functioning skills, unlock creative expression, and strengthen emotional resilience.

Through guided prompts, in-game storytelling, and expressive arts exercises, participants will:

• Engage in problem-solving and flexible thinking through role-play challenges
• Practice time management and decision-making in character-driven scenarios
• Navigate emotional and social dynamics within the game and creative exercises
• Cultivate creative confidence by experimenting with various artistic modalities

The Infinite Staircase serves as a symbol of boundless creative potential, allowing participants to move beyond limitations and explore new artistic and personal possibilities.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Apotheosis at Petrichor is a collaborative workshop hosted by Lonely Mountain Therapy in partnership with Petrichor Art Collective. This event is designed to provide a supportive, creative space for exploring expressive arts and therapeutic role-playing. To ensure a safe and ethical experience, we ask participants to be mindful of the following:

• Informed Consent: Participants will engage in expressive arts and therapeutic role-playing activities designed for self-reflection, creativity, and personal growth. While this is a therapeutically informed workshop, it is not a substitute for individual therapy. A clear outline of activities and expectations will be provided at the start of the session.
• Confidentiality: Facilitators will keep all personal content shared within the group private. Participants are welcome to connect and share their experiences outside the event, but should be aware that doing so is at their own discretion and carries some inherent risks. We encourage participants to consider their own privacy needs when engaging with others. However, any personal content shared during group discussions should remain private within the workshop space to maintain a respectful and supportive environment.
• Facilitator Competence: This workshop is led by qualified professionals trained in expressive arts therapy, mindfulness, and therapeutic role-playing methodologies. Our approach follows professional standards in ethical practice to create an inclusive and neurodivergent-friendly space.
• Open Art Collective Setting: This event takes place in an actively working art collective, specifically in the open space area near the kitchen and maker space. While we will create a designated space for the workshop, participants should be aware that artists and makers may be working nearby or may need something from the kitchen. This offers a unique creative atmosphere, but it also means some ambient noise and movement may be present.

If you have any concerns or accessibility needs, please contact [email protected] before the event.

This workshop incorporates guided activities and reflective exercises from established expressive arts therapy resources, including:

• Process Not Perfection by Dr. Jamie Marich
• Be, Awake, Create by Rebekah Younger
• Trust the Process: An Artist’s Guide to Letting Go by Shaun McNiff

These workbooks provide mindful practices, creative prompts, and therapeutic exercises to help participants explore self-expression, creativity, and personal growth. All necessary materials will be provided during the workshop no prior reading or preparation is required.

In addition to the structured activities, the following supplies and amenities will be available to enhance the workshop experience:

• D&D Supplies: Rulebooks, character sheets, pencils, and dice.
• Art Supplies: Paper, markers, colored pencils, and other creative materials.
• Light Refreshments: Snacks and beverages will be provided

Enrollment for Apotheosis at Petrichor is available through Eventbrite. Partnering with Petrichor Collective, this workshop is designed as a collaborative arts experience, offering a space for storytelling, role-playing, and expressive arts engagement outside of a therapy setting.

How to Sign Up

• Use Eventbrite to reserve your spot
• Spaces are limited to maintain an intimate and engaging group experience
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Info: 7:15 PM – Arrival and Welcome (10–15 minutes)

Participants check in and introduce themselves

Info: Initial Check-In (10–20 minutes)
Overview of the session, including how role-playing and expressive arts will be integrated.
Late arrivals accommodated within the first 10 minutes.
Participants share updates on their character progress.
Introduction of key psychoeducation topics tailored to the group’s needs.
Group brainstorming and discussion on strategies for weekly challenges.

Info: Participants reflect on and share insights from workbook exercises or ongoing creative projects. Guided discussion on themes from the week’s expressive arts or storytelling activities.
Optional mindfulness practice to transition into the game.

Info: Gameplay and Story Progression (90 minutes)

Recap of the previous session’s Dungeons & Dragons adventure.
Players engage in guided storytelling and role-play, integrating creative problem-solving and collaborative decision-making.
Dynamic encounters, character development, and exploration of in-game challenges.
The adventure unfolds, leading to pivotal choices and personal storytelling moments.
Session ends on a cliffhanger or reflective moment.

Info: Creative exercises inspired by themes from the session’s gameplay.
Participants engage in drawing, writing, collage, or movement-based responses.
Space for sharing creative work or insights from the session.

Info: Participants check out by sharing key takeaways.
Brief discussion on how skills practiced in the game translate into daily life.
Workbook activities assigned for continued creative exploration before the next session.

Info: Open Q&A for participants who wish to discuss their experiences further.
Social time for networking and informal conversation.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

131 E Lincoln Ave ste c, 131 East Lincoln Avenue, Fort Collins, United States