Lesson 2:
Facilitating Emotional Awareness

Feelings Across Generations: Understanding Emotional Communication Through Art
Carmen Lomas Garza's "Tamalada" (1990) offers us a vibrant window into how emotions flow through groups and across generations—a perfect illustration of the emotional awareness we'll develop today. This colorful lithograph shows family members gathered for a traditional tamale-making celebration, where emotional connections are as important as the food being prepared.

Observe how Garza uses spatial arrangement to show emotional relationships: the circular positioning of family members creates a sense of unity, while their varied postures—some leaning in, others standing tall—reveal different emotional roles within the group. The warm colors and detailed facial expressions communicate a sense of joy and belonging. Notice how the artist depicts different generations working together, showing how emotional knowledge passes from elders to children.

Created by a pioneering Mexican American artist, this artwork celebrates cultural traditions often overlooked in mainstream art. Garza's "Tamalada" preserves important cultural memories while making visible the emotional bonds that sustain communities.

The scene mirrors the emotional awareness practices we'll explore today—how attentiveness to others' feelings creates spaces where everyone can feel understood. Just as family members in the image attend to both the task and each other's emotional states, we can learn to recognize and respond to emotions in our own groups.

Key takeaways:

• Emotional awareness is culturally transmitted and learned through observation

• Group activities create opportunities for emotional connection and understanding

• Recognizing emotions in others requires attentive observation of subtle cues

As we practice facilitating emotional awareness today, consider how you might create similar spaces where people feel safe enough to express authentic emotions and develop greater emotional intelligence together.