Hey!
I’m Zena
pronounced “Zĕh-na”
I am a multidisciplinary, non-traditional student pursuing an Individualized Degree Plan (IDP) with a focus in Therapeutic Art and Community Health & Development, with additional areas of emphasis in Arts in Health and Narrative Medicine, and Community Health & Development. I am also completing minors in Arts in Health and Narrative Medicine, and Studio Art, with graduation expected in Spring 2027.
My creative background spans multiple disciplines, and my current practice is primarily centered on painting, with some digital exploration. This portfolio reflects my creative work through an arts-in-health lens, exploring how art can support wellbeing in ethical, accessible, and non-clinical ways.
As my studies continue, this body of work is evolving as a foundation for future practice in therapeutic, community-based, and studio arts contexts.
Why I make Art
Art has always been central to how I work through ideas, questions, and challenges, both personally and professionally. It is a way for me to slow down, reflect, and make sense of complexity, and also a way to connect with others. I am especially interested in how art functions as a shared language in community settings, where making and witnessing can build understanding, belonging, and dialogue across difference.
I have experience inviting others into creative practice through teaching creative reuse classes, advising high school yearbook, and working as an art facilitator for adults with disabilities. These experiences have shaped my understanding of responsibility, ethics, and boundaries in creative spaces.
Art is inherently emotional, and creative practice is often political, whether named or not. I hold a deep sense of care when entering another person’s creative process, recognizing it as a space that requires consent, accessibility, cultural humility, and clear scope of practice.
Cracking open hearts & minds around the world, from Humboldt California.