Sowing the seeds: Camas artist Jilleen Shahidi plants a garden of creativity

Soft pastels are among the tools of the trade for participants in Memory Garden, a monthly art meetup for adults at Camas Community Center. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Participants in Camas Parks & Recreation’s free monthly art meetup for adults, Memory Garden, let their creativity flow Sept. 1 at Camas Community Center. Participants re-create positive memories through creative art projects — a different project every time, using a variety of materials. The event has social benefits but it’s also a big boost for mental and emotional health. (Photos by Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Camas Parks & Recreation hosts a monthly art meetup for adults called Memory Garden at the Camas Community Center. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Camas artist Jilleen Shahidi works with participants Sept. 1 during Memory Garden, a free monthly art meetup for adults at Camas Community Center. Creativity improves mental and emotional health and this meetup is also a social occasion. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Jennifer Lenhardt of Oregon City, Ore., left, joins Erika Patterson of Camas Sept. 1 at Memory Garden, a monthly art meet-up for adults. Participants recreate positive memories through different art projects using a variety of prompts and materials. (Photos by Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Participants in a monthly art meetup for adults called Memory Garden let their creativity grow wild Sept. 1 at Camas Community Center. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)