The Latino Commission · San Bruno, CA · Monthly since March 2026
Be Bad, Do Good
- Client:The Latino Commission (TLC), San Bruno, CA
- Goals:Offer clients in early addiction recovery an outlet to express themselves and bear witness to one another, free of judgment
- Format:Monthly, pro bono, 90-minute bilingual healing arts workshop
- Date:Monthly since March 2026
- Reach:80+ participants
“Bad Art Club’s ‘no wrong way to make art’ philosophy is uniquely well-matched to a population that has often experienced their lives as a series of perceived failures.”
The Creative Brief
The Latino Commission is a Bay Area nonprofit offering culturally rooted residential recovery programs for men, women, and young women with children.
In January 2026, Jonathan Guerrero, a graduate of TLC’s recovery program, reached out to Sal Blancas, Director of Residential Services, about bringing in a healing arts workshop. After meeting the TLC team, Jonathan and Jules Costa, founder of Bad Art Club, felt an instant call to be of service. Since March, we’ve led a monthly workshop for residents of Casa Aztlan and Casa Quetzal, two of TLC’s recovery homes, reaching a community that most Bay Area arts programming doesn’t.
Our Approach
We invite lighthearted, genuine moments of connection so that everyone in the room feels a sense of community and care. People in early recovery are often carrying a lot, so we keep things gentle and accessible, and give everyone permission to make marks on the page without worrying whether their art is good or bad.
Jules and Jonathan co-facilitate each bilingual session for about 20 residents, most of whom speak Spanish as their first language. Jonathan, now over three years sober, is the heart of it. Residents see someone who once sat in the same chairs they’re sitting in, and who came back to share a creative practice that’s part of his own recovery.
The Program: Be Bad, Do Good
Each 90-minute session follows the same arc:
- Circle up. Everyone shares a happy childhood memory or a nourishing thought to inspire their art.
- Land in the body. Deep breaths, a little stretching and shaking, and a guided meditation in Spanish.
- Permission to be bad. Vibrant oil pastels, paint pens and paper, a simple prompt, and full permission to experiment.
- Make art. An hour of quiet, self-directed creating.
- Show and tell. Anyone who wants to can share what they made and what came up for them.
Once, we asked everyone to paint their happy place, real or imagined. The sharing that followed sparked real empathy and connection.
Another time, we brought in a box of old CDs to paint on. One woman said it was “the best feeling I’ve had in as long as I can remember.” Not everyone was ready to paint on them, though. One shy man confessed he didn’t want to “ruin” the CDs. The room had a good laugh, since the CDs were already ruined!
The Outcome
Since March, more than 80 residents have joined us, many of whom have since graduated the program. Each session brings mostly new faces, and every time we’re met with enthusiasm and gratitude. People can’t wait to show and tell.
One participant painted the farm in Ecuador where he grew up. His face lit up like a little kid’s as he turned his painting around: “This is our old truck! This is our cat! This is our house!” His joy brought back happy memories for everyone in the room.
Across seven sessions, three out of four participants said they left feeling more relaxed, and three out of four felt more connected to the people around them.
“Seriously, thank you. These kinds of exercises help me relax and have fun. I hope more keep coming.”
So far, this work has been entirely pro bono, powered by the commitment of our facilitators. We’re looking for donors to help us keep it going and bring it to more people. With your help, we hope to bring these workshops to TLC every week, and to expand to two other recovery centers in the Bay Area in 2027.
All names, photos, and survey responses are used with written participant consent.
in their words
“The impact of Bad Art Club on our residents in early recovery has been visible and immediate. Residents who often arrive carrying significant trauma, shame, and difficulty with self-expression have engaged with Bad Art Club’s facilitators in ways that reach beyond what verbal therapy alone can offer. Participants have spoken openly about the art they were creating from their hearts and described, in their own words, how the act of making was already affecting their recovery journey in positive ways. Bad Art Club’s ‘no wrong way to make art’ philosophy is uniquely well-matched to a population that has often experienced their lives as a series of perceived failures, and we have watched it begin to restore something essential to their sense of self in a remarkably short time.”
Bring this to your community.
Bad Art Club facilitates workshops for organizations, schools, and communities. Every session is custom-designed around your goals.
