Road to Lost Emotions
An orientation into self through play, reflection, and emotional world-building.
Every new semester asks students to imagine who they want to become. Before introducing expectations, DREAMHAUS invited students to pause and consider a different question:
Who am I today?
Created for Black Creatives Institute and FirstGen First Flight at Otis College of Art & Design, Road to Lost Emotions reframed orientation as a moment of reflection—giving students language, tools, and rituals they could carry with them throughout their creative journey.
The Road to Lost Emotions
Growth rarely follows a straight line.
Every creative moves through moments of uncertainty, confidence, curiosity, fear, joy, and reinvention. Rather than treating those emotions as obstacles, Road to Lost Emotions introduces them as landmarks along the journey.
Built around DREAMHAUS' emotional framework, the experience encourages students to recognize where they are today while imagining where they might go next.
The Experience
EMOTIONAL NAVIGATIONAt the heart of the experience is DREAMHAUS' Playground of Lost Emotions—a visual and reflective system built around nineteen emotional pillars that help people understand the relationships between their emotions, creativity, and personal growth.
Rather than prescribing answers, the system offers a shared language for navigating change, uncertainty, and possibility.
WORLD BUILDINGREFLECTION THROUGH CHANCEThe experience begins with a short introduction to DREAMHAUS and an animated film introducing the Playground of Lost Emotions. Students are then invited, four at a time, to gather around the DREAMHAUS Art Car.
A roll of the dice randomly reveals one of the nineteen emotional pillars, introducing each student to a unique Who Am I Today? postcard featuring a corresponding Praise, Gift, and Curse. The element of chance removes expectation, encouraging honest reflection rather than self-selection.
Students who feel called to share are invited to reflect with the group, creating moments of vulnerability, recognition, and connection before the semester begins.
Client
Otis College of Art & Design
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Execution
Creative Direction
Educational Experience Design
Emotional Learning Framework
World Building
Custom Reflection System
Printed Emotional Toolkit
Editorial Writing
Interactive Facilitation
Instant Photography
Mobile Installation
Community Programming
