Westfield Library to host two pilot programs for NAMI - Creative Mindsets Workshop for grades 7-12

(November 13, 2025) – The Westfield Memorial Library is proud to host Creative Mindsets, a pilot arts and crafts program created by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) NJ for seventh through twelfth graders. The library is located at 550 East Broad Street.

On Monday, December 1 and Tuesday, December 2 between 3:30 and 5:00 p.m., students will have a chance to work with a boxed kit of materials designed to spark creativity and self-expression. Each kit contains traditional art supplies including markers, paintbrushes, scissors, and tape, as well as multi-media supplies like ribbons, fabric patches, and construction paper.

Students can participate in different activities such as creating a Pause Pouch, which is a personalized pouch for self-soothing and regulating emotions during times of stress; Grow with Me, which is a mini planting kit that focuses on growth and thriving; and Intro to Zines, an accessible way for students to express themselves via micro-publishing.

The activities were designed by a work group of professionals with overlapping experience in creativity and mental health, including art therapists, youth program directors and professional artists. There will be refreshments, goodies, gift cards, and a chance to offer feedback.

Creative Mindsets is an outgrowth of survey NAMI conducted in 2023 of more than 2,000 people age 13+ about their relationship to creativity and mental health. Results showed that creative activities have a great positive impact on mental health, improving confidence, reducing stress and anxiety, and improving overall mental wellbeing.

While each event will begin at 3:30 and last until 5 p.m., late arrivals will be welcomed until 4 p.m. Students can come to one session or both, but they must register for any session they plan to attend. Register for December 1. Register for December 2.

NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation's leading voice on mental health. Today, there are more than 600 local affiliates who work to raise awareness and provide previously unavailable support and education.

To sign up for a library card, or learn more about the library’s resources, please visit https://wmlnj.org/, or follow the library on Instagram. The library is located at 550 East Broad Street. Library hours are Monday - Thursday 9:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday 1:00-5:00 p.m. The library will close at 1:00p.m. on Wednesday, November 26 and be closed Thursday, November 27 for Thanksgiving.