To reflect on your intercultural experience through visual storytelling. This activity helps you process and express moments of cultural connection, surprise, and learning - without needing to write a lot.
What you’ll need:
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A blank sheet of paper and paper or
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A free comic creation tool like:
Pixton – customize characters, backgrounds, and expressions
Storyboard That – drag-and-drop scenes, speech bubbles, and icons
Instructions:
Step 1: Create 3 Comic Frames
Each frame tells a short moment from your week/month.
Frame 1: A moment you’d share (or shared) with friends at home
Something funny, beautiful, or meaningful. A highlight.
Frame 2: A situation where there was a misunderstanding
Show a moment that was awkward, confusing, or surprising.
Frame 3: A person or interaction where you learned something new
Someone who helped you understand something about the culture—or about yourself or project.
Add simple visuals and text. Use drawings, stick figures, or icons - whatever helps you express the story. Add short captions or speech bubbles to capture feelings or thoughts.
You can download the frame template here (644.38 kB, pdf).
Step 2. Reflect.
Once your comic is complete, look at it as a whole:
- What emotions or themes appear across the frames?
- What do these moments show about how you experience and adapt to cultural differences?
Step 3. Share with your buddy (Optional)
If you feel comfortable, share your comic with your buddy or small group. When listening, focus on curiosity and learning, not correcting or interpreting. Ask each other:
- Which frame feels most meaningful to you?
- What do you see or feel in this story that you recognize from your own experience?
Guidance for mentors/facilitators
- Introduce this activity once participants have experienced a variety of cultural situations. Emphasize that artistic skill doesn’t matter - this is about expressing and understanding experiences visually.
- Encourage participants to notice emotions and behaviors in their stories - these often reveal deeper cultural insights.
- Link back to solidarity: highlight how recognizing and reflecting on diverse experiences builds mutual understanding, respect, and a shared sense of learning.