September is an excellent month to open a book, ignore your responsibilities for a reasonable amount of time, and disappear into another world. This time, we’re making the world ourselves!
Whether you grew up studying the Marauder’s Map, dreaming of Middle-earth, crossing the wall into Stormhold, following quests across Narnia, or trying to remember which family currently controls King’s Landing, you already know that a great map can make an imaginary world feel real.
In this fantasy map-making workshop, we’ll explore the wonderfully nerdy art of worldbuilding. We’ll brainstorm your world’s lore and history, name cities, kingdoms, forests, oceans, and questionably safe alleyways, and decide where the castles, portals, ancient ruins, forbidden territories, and suspiciously cursed mountain ranges belong.
You get to decide who lives in your world, what happened there centuries ago, which roads should be avoided after dark, and whether that tiny village near the edge of the map is charming, haunted, or somehow both.
Your map can also chart more personal territory. You might map grief, healing, identity, uncertainty, hope, or life after cancer, complete with winding roads, unexpected landmarks, places you have left behind, and destinations you are still trying to reach. You choose how much of your own story makes its way onto the page and how much you would like to share.
Once the lore is established, we’ll bring your world to life through layout, sketching, drawing, color, lettering, and creative embellishments. Artistic talent and cartography credentials are not required. A curious mind and a willingness to consider where the dragons, secret passages, and emotionally significant bodies of water belong will carry you far.
The Quest Details
Who: Young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers ages 18–45 who are ready to explore some uncharted creative territory
What: A fantasy map-making workshop filled with worldbuilding, lore, drawing, color, and creative connection
When: Wednesday, September 30 from 3–5 p.m. PT / 4–6 p.m. MT / 5–7 p.m. CT / 6–8 p.m. ET
Where: Online via Zoom!
Why: Because creativity gives us somewhere new to wander, stories help us make meaning, and every so often your brain deserves a quest that has nothing to do with cancer
Consult the ancient scrolls, gather your supplies, and join us as we put a whole new world on the map. 🌵
Got questions? We are here to help! Reach out to us at programs@cactuscancer.org
