Join us in December for a workshop entitled Empowering to Create! This session is designed to help each participant dive into their personal artistry and explore their unique journey as a creative. Through reflective exercises, attendees will uncover their strengths and build confidence to seek out and embrace opportunities that allow them to shine.

This workshop will also guide participants in recognizing habits or tendencies that may sometimes make certain opportunities a less ideal fit. Examples might include discomfort in public or collaborative settings, disinterest in teaching, chronic tardiness, difficulty meeting deadlines, or reluctance to communicate with organizers.

Our goal is for every participant to leave feeling confident, motivated, and ready to seek or create environments where they can truly thrive.

The workshop will be available to attend at 10:30 a.m. or at 1:00 p.m.

Meet the Presenters:

Rolanda Brigham, a native Texan, is the Arts, Culture, and Heritage Manager for DeSoto, Texas. She leads the city’s Cultural Arts Master Plan and founded the DeSoto Artist Lab in 2022. With over 35 years of experience, she is dedicated to using the arts to strengthen communities.

A graduate of The College of Santa Fe, Rolanda studied at The University of Kansas and is an alum of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas. Her career includes developing arts-based curriculums and teaching creative writing, acting, dance, and cultural arts for organizations like Gallery 37, Urban Gateways, and Big Thought.

A retired actress, Rolanda’s credits include national commercials, voiceovers, regional theater, and Broadway. She has worked with schools, community organizations, and juvenile justice programs to expand access to the arts.

Rolanda is also an experienced workshop leader, offering training for educators and artists. She now brings her passion and expertise to Wichita Falls, helping creatives grow and succeed.

Alyson McKenzie Wells, originally from Birmingham, Alabama, is a Dallas-based educator, consultant, and performing artist with nearly 20 years of experience in arts and education. She has worked with non-profits, public schools, private institutions, and community organizations across the U.S., focusing on program design, curriculum development, staff coaching, and professional learning in social-emotional learning (SEL), restorative practices, and arts integration.

Her career includes roles at Big Thought, where she collaborated with schools, libraries, parks, senior centers, and arts organizations, contributing to innovative education initiatives like alternative and arts-integrative schools in Texas. Alyson now works independently, teaching yoga, pilates, acting, and music, and consulting on various projects, including artist residencies and poetry contests.

Alyson holds a BFA in Acting and Dance from Elon University and is a certified yoga and mindfulness teacher. A mental health advocate and lifelong learner, she enjoys traveling, reading, theater, and spending time with her husband and three cats. She recently returned to performing and is exploring plans to write and publish children’s books.

Recovering Creativity is a transformative series of Artist Development Workshops designed specifically for local creatives. These workshops aim to provide the necessary tools to help attendees overcome the pressures, insecurities, and barriers that hinder a joyful artistic practice. FREE and open to anyone with a creative spirit, these workshops invite participants to reconnect with their creativity in a supportive and inspiring environment.