I teach and facilitate workshops in photography, multimedia storytelling and somatic coaching.
I have developed frameworks and taught the following workshops in various online and offline settings. I’m happy to offer them again.
I also enjoy a collaborative process and design new program & curriculum to suit your needs, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.
ONE-TIME WORKSHOPS (1.5hr~3hr)
- Unbound: For Chinese and international creatives navigating the O-1 and EB-1 visa process
- How to be Seen:
A creative somatic ritual to return to your body, soften into self-love, and feel the healing power of being seen
- Embody Your Future Self: A Creative Somatic Self-Portrait Workshop
- Tender Gaze, Making Collaborative Portraits
- Design Your Virtual Presence: A Somatic Website Visioning Workshop
LONG-TERM PROGRAMS
- Virtual Presence, 2-weekend workshop
-
Multimedia Love Letter, 9-week creative somatic retreat
- Mixed Media Playbook, 5-week multimedia storytelling course
- API Queer Intergenerational Healing Multimedia Project, 10-week course
~~~~~~~ CHRONICALS ~~~~~
2025
Unbound: Navigating Artist Visas and Reimagining Radical Belonging
For Chinese and international creatives navigating the O-1 and EB-1 visa process
SUNSET STUDIO X ACCENT SISTERS, 2025
https://lu.ma/fuqls56c
So many of us came to the U.S. with a dream—to create, to thrive, to be free. But the visa journey? It’s often confusing, isolating, and filled with uncertainty.
Join us for an info session on June 2nd, open to anyone who is just beginning to explore the O-1 or EB-1 visa process, or already deep in it. We’ll begin by gently arriving in our bodies—through a somatic grounding practice, we’ll reconnect with our intentions: why we’re here, and what creative freedom and belonging truly mean to us.
Mengwen will share their own 13-year visa journey—from F-1 student to three-time O-1 artist visa holder to finally receiving an EB-1 green card. They’ll walk us through realistic timelines, tangible steps, and what it's really like to navigate the multi-entry and exit process.
For those who have already signed with a lawyer and are ready to workshop materials and prepare for the “jailbreak,” we’re launching a two-month intensive starting in June. This small-group series includes bi-weekly check-ins, mindset tools, and support for the emotional labor that often goes unspoken. You’ll gain an intimate view of each other’s process, share lessons learned, and receive guidance from a visa-expert-survivor.
We’ll close the session with a soft and brave space for community sharing, mutual support, and resource exchange.
No one should have to walk this path alone.
꧁꧁꧁This is for you if you...
- Are an artist or creative practitioner navigating or suffering about the O-1 or EB-1 process
- Want space to reflect on the why behind your journey—not just the paperwork
- Are tired of going it alone and ready to be in artist community
꧁꧁꧁ What to expect:
- A detailed walkthrough of Mengwen’s O-1 and EB-1 story
- Somatic grounding practice to clarify your "why"
- Practical tips, resources, and reflections on preparing your visa materials
- Community sharing circle with fellow Chinese diaspora artists
Multimedia Love Letter
@sunset studio
2024-ongoing
https://sunsetstudio.love/multimedia-love-letter
Multimedia Love Letter is a 9-week creative somatic retreat that helps you access deep self-love, cultivate authentic intimacy, and build embodied connections through multimedia storytelling & somatic coaching.
We will slow down together, get in touch with our senses, return to our center, reflect on the relationship we have with ourselves and others with the goal of creating a multimedia “love letter” to share or keep as part of your personal archives.
We will engage with a blend of photography, text, sound, video and storytelling to create a multimedia love letter using a website builder (no coding necessary).
This retreat will be personal; an open heart is required.
This is not a technical class, but you will acquire a variety of skills along the way.
“It was exactly what I hoped it would be!
A blend of spending time with myself (going deep), and also reinvigorating my creative practice in a playful way.
I thought every session was very thoughtfully planned with the opening, somatic exercises, partner work, creative challenge etc. I always felt held & challenged simultaneously.
And it was an incredible group of people. Very grateful to have participated!”
- Jasmin Chang
open Jasmin’s love letter“This was a beautiful container that offered love, co-incubating and courage to step into my creation energy.
This retreat felt like a hugeee mirror to myself. during the retreat i became more aware and present to me, my physical + energetic body, how i am constantly changing - that i move in cycles, even when i may not feel that i am changing!
This has been so humbling and comforting for me, it has lent me a lot of grace and kindness to myself in my journey”
- Sola, 2024 Fall MML Participant
open their love letter
HOW TO BE SEEN: A Somatic & Creative Ritual Workshop
Do you crave to show up as a whole, embodied being?
How to Be Seen is a free somatic & creative ritual workshop for heart-centered, soul-led creatives who are ready to return to their bodies, soften into self-love, and experience the healing power of being truly seen.
Through somatic grounding, mirror meditation, and a powerful partner reflection practice, we’ll explore what it means to be witnessed without performing.
To reclaim attention as a tool of love. To remember that being seen begins with seeing yourself.
You’re not here to be polished.
You’re here to be real.
Come as you are.
Leave a little more yourself.
Workshop Flow:
– Somatic Grounding
– Mirror Meditation (self-gazing for self-love + body presence)
– Partner Describing Ritual (to experience attention as healing)
– Reflection Circle + Sharing
I learnt that self portraiture through different mediums could be a potentially healing process for me, particularly in my recovery from body dysmorphia. And that there are different ways to do it.
-Maya Kalaria
Embody Your Future Self:
a somatic self-portrait workshop
Welcome to this soft container that will guide you through mirror work to meet and embody your future self through creating a self-portrait.
We will start the journey with somatic grounding, then through mirror meditation and vision board practice, you will walk with a plan to create your self-portrait after the live session.
You will walk away with a process you can continue to practice to cultivate deep self-love and create better images of yourself.
The flow of the session:
- guided somatic grounding
- mirror gazing exercise
- brief intro to self-portraits
- vision board
- Introducing Multimedia Love Letter Creative Somatic Retreat
it got me thinking about the connection between somatics in portraiture, and the idea of activating different parts of your creative energy through using different mediums. i think about this a lot with music and poetry, but i like thinking about it with visual and digital mediums as well.
- Jamila
I learned to sit silently, and allow visualizations and imaginations to form in my mind. and to take them seriously! I liked doing this in a group. I think some of this quiet work would be challenging for me to do by myself, so it is nice to do in community.
- Jasmin
Design Virtual Presence:
a somatic website visioning workshop
Who are you online? How do you present yourself and your work on a website in a way that truly reflects who you are?
Design Virtual Presence is a 1.5 hr workshop designed to help you craft an authentic online space using a somatic approach and design thinking strategies. In this hands-on workshop, you will learn to create a vision board for your website that embodies your essence using somatic practices & storytelling.
Whether you’re a creative, entrepreneur, or healer looking to share your work online, this workshop offers you the tools to design a website that feels aligned with your vision.
I really loved the way the prompts were written (very simple and gave clear logical direction, but very probing) and the flexibility on whether to share them or not. The examples were also very clear, and the open sharing format continued to give the space the welcoming tone and somatic space it promised. I loved that this space didn't feel like it was gatekeeping, especially because websites and tech can feel like a black-box a lot of the time to people trying to just create experiences.
- Danica Sapit
the idea of building a website (tried several times) has left me feeling defeated, throwing a toddler tantrum + giving up. after this workshop, having a multimedia love letter (website) that speaks to who i am, what i have to offer + who i'm inviting in feels possible. the framework feels like water-- free flowing, explorative + nourishing.
- Gogo mabathu
~~~~~~2024-2020~~~~~
API LGBTQ+ Multimedia Project
in collaboration with API Rainbow Parents, PFLAG New York
guest instructor: Rochelle Kwan and Hannah Yoon
Sundays, 1pm-3pm ET, April 17-June 30, 2022
API LGBTQ+ Multimedia Project is a series of ten multimedia and communication skills-building workshops that promotes intergenerational conversation and healing. Through teaching participants multimedia technical skills as well as communication and interview skills, workshop participants create multimedia portraits of API parents with LGBTQ+ children who have gone through challenging journeys of navigating their children’s coming out, moving from struggle to acceptance to unconditional love.
Each participant was paired with a parent (not their own) to learn about each parent’s background and experiences as an LGBTQ+ affirming parent. Through a series of prompts and exercises, participants learned visual-thinking strategies to analyze image structure and composition, practiced the power of intentional gazing, and learned deep listening skills to make meaningful connections. Building on these skills, participants utilized a blend of image, text, sound, and storytelling to create multimedia portraits of API parents with LGBTQ+ children.
Testimonials
“endless thanks <3 Meng you were a great teacher and facilitator.”“I loved the community we built together.
It felt really special to be connected to so many cool API trans/queer folks.
I definitely learned how diverse the community is, across ethnicities, borders, and experiences.
I also loved learning how to record oral histories. I definitely want to use this skill in the future.”“I loved the community we built together.
It felt really special to be connected to so many cool API trans/queer folks.
I definitely learned how diverse the community is, across ethnicities, borders, and experiences.
I also loved learning how to record oral histories. I definitely want to use this skill in the future.”
Mixed Media Playbook
@ INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY
2022, 2023, 2024
How do you mix different mediums to tell more nuanced and complete stories?
In this five biweekly class, we will explore storytelling through experimenting with mixing photographs, text, audio, moving images and web design. Through a series of prompts and exercises, students will learn visual-thinking strategies to analyze images, practice deep listening and interview skills, and use design thinking strategies to construct a space online to tell multimedia stories. We will use a website builder. No previous coding experience is required. Students are encouraged to come to class with a project idea.
Testimonials
“The entire information provided was very helpful! I learnt how to to build and structure a website and different ways to add content that is not only photography. you're an amazing instructor!”
- Alejandra G.
“The 4 : 8 :12 rule for video and just video making in general! Thinking about how videos are made vs. images is quite different so it was something new and fun.”
- Kristina S
“I feel as though this course has inspired me to heal within myself in various ways while also creating a meaningful dimension of work that others can relate to and feel a safe space within. I really am excited to continue with multi-media projects and how the form of it influences future work. Continue being an amazing instructor!”
- Adriel M
VIRTUAL PRESENCE
@ INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY
June 5-6, 2021 | Sat & Sun | 10 am-5 pm EDT
May 22-23, 2021 | Sat & Sun | 10 am-5 pm EDT
Who are you online? How do you present yourself and your work on a website?
In this weekend workshop, we will learn to use design thinking strategies to construct a space online to tell your story.
Through a series of prompts and practices, we will walk through the iterative design process together. We will first define and ideate your web project, prototype and design the beginning stage of it and test it amongst your peers. We will use a website builder. No previous coding experience required.
Testimonial:
“Loved learning about the design process, especially digging into the feel of what a website is. I loved the idea of thinking of it as a home, with rooms. That metaphor really resonated for me.”
“I learned that brainstorming/ researching / understanding myself and my goals are important, not just for website building but for my future career. The prompts were so deep and really made me think hard. I didn't expect to learn so much about myself and what to do next after ICP, so thank you Mengwen!! <3”
“I really appreciated the way you began the workshop with setting the tone. You made the daunting task (at least to me! haha) of creating a website feel exciting and less scary than it typically feels. I also appreciated so much how actively you listened to all of us and helped give us feedback and tips for how we could achieve the vision we are going for.”
Mar 18–Apr 29, 2021 11am-1pm
link
Are you craving connection with others? When was the last time you felt seen and heard or expressed your feelings and gratitude towards your loved ones? It’s easy to feel isolated in these socially-distanced times. In this 8-session class, we will slow down together and get in touch with our senses and reflect on our relationship with ourselves and others with the goal of creating a multimedia “love letter” you can share. Through a series of prompts and exercises, students will learn visual-thinking strategies to analyze image structure and composition, practice the power of intentional gaze, and learn deep listening skills to make meaningful connections and build intimacy. We’ll utilize a blend of photography, video, text, sound, and storytelling to create a multimedia love letter using a website builder (no coding necessary).
This class will take place on a personal level; an open heart is required. This is not a technical class, but students will need a device that can record video and audio — anything from a smartphone to a Zoom recorder (we’ll go over basic recording and interviewing techniques).
Testimonial:
“If you want to learn more about yourself, you should try this class before going to a psychologist. Believe me, a lot will change in your life.”
- Zeynep Dildar Gürcan
click here to view Zeynep’s project
Meng's workshop is the right one for the times we are living. Exploring all the digital tools and dig deeper in our emotions to tell a personal story.
- Samuel Mustri
Meng's workshop offered me the opportunity to dive into new ways of approaching projects and new techniques, truly eye opening for me. I enjoyed the class so much!
- Barbara Bühlmann
“Challenging yet accessible class for anyone willing to grow as an artist and as a human being ! Thank you Meng for your wise teaching and gentle eye on our works... You pushed me to try things I never imagined I could do. <3”
-Lara Micheli
click here to view Lara’s project
Tender Gaze:
Making Collaborative Portraits
Sun, August 23, 2020
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
A two-hour interactive workshop on intentional gaze and ways of seeing.
let's connect by making film stills directed or starred by you!
i’m inviting you to join me in an interactive two-hour online workshop where we learn to develop a conscious way of seeing and practice intentional gaze in collaborative portrait making.
the intention for this workshop is to use this space to reflect, connect, play, and grow together.
*spoiler alert*: you will be asked to co-create a film still inspired by your favorite scenes co-directed by you and your workshop partner(s). you will either be the director, the cinematographer, the star, or any combinations of the roles. come prepared. <3
caption: this image can be better if done collaboratively.
in the workshop, together we will:
- consider how we see and how we want to be seen
- discuss the power of the gaze
- use visual thinking strategies(VTS) to analyze images
- consider the possibilities and limitations of visual language
- making collaborative portraits using Zoom (a film still in this case)
Testimonials:“I felt a positive reinforcement to look deeper and feel more when creating portraits and self-portraits or other work. This was such a great reminder and exercise to lean on my emotions and trust myself. I learned about a new photographer and will be looking more into their work. I also got to learn about and connect with a colleague who I've never met before.”
- Elaine I loved the gazing exercise and the collaborative portrait at the end! So fun and interesting, and a great to way to connect with strangers over zoom.
- Kat
“Thank you Meng! You were wonderful and inspiring and I cannot thank you enough for holding this workshop. As a young Asian photographer, it’s hard to find POC photographers to look up to. You are a great mentor!”
- Hannah
I like that the first exercise caused two people to literally fall in love.
- Ingo
I enjoyed the crash course in contemporary portraiture before delving into the exercise. I learned new ways to think about Zoom as a way of seeing and as a way to create portraits of others.
- Emily