This winter, fourth graders in Ms. Hazel’s class at Rowe Elementary School participated in a Side x Side mixed media journaling and mindfulness meditation program led virtually by teaching artist Cat LaBarre. Called, “The Art Check In,” the program offered a weekly guided meditation followed by a structured art activity designed to develop self and social awareness through creativity. Throughout the program, LaBarre taught the students to focus on the process rather than the end result and regularly invited them to gather to share their work, process, and emotions. As a final product, each student chose one of their meditation-based creations as a starting point to create a mixed media image with a focus on composition, contrast, and color to share with the group during a Zoom showcase event.