Liberating Structures
Tiny Demons
Get to know and appreciate your own demons — those fears, patterns, and quirks that hold us back — so you can treat them with more compassion, realize what’s blocking them, and playfully uncover your own vulnerabilities in a safe and lighthearted way.
Tiny Demons
What is made possible - What it unlocks
Our fears and certain behavioral patterns are protective mechanisms we’ve developed. They’re part of us, yet they regularly hold us back — paralyzing us and preventing important steps or insights that could help ourselves and others. Tiny Demons works on two levels: first, you confront your fears by listing them, which is often the first step toward dealing with them more consciously. Second — and usually more powerful — this method lets you lovingly ridicule at least one fear, stripping it of its weight and significance. Or simply accept and acknowledge it. This often brings good spirits and a lightness that takes the terror out of the fear.
When to use it
- When you want to help people acknowledge and accept their own vulnerabilities in a safe, playful way
- Before starting a challenging project or change initiative where fears might block progress
- When you notice the group is stuck or hesitant due to unspoken anxieties
- To create psychological safety by normalizing that everyone has “demons” or limiting beliefs
- When you want to work with beliefs, behavioral patterns, ticks, or character traits that need embracing rather than fighting
- As a personal reflection exercise to identify what’s holding you back
- When you want a lighter, more individual alternative to Anxiety Circus
🛠️ The five design elements of Tiny Demons
Each Liberating Structure consists of five simple design elements to make participation possible for everyone. By shaping these elements with care, you move beyond rigid control or chaos and create space for people to contribute, listen, and co-create.
- 1. The Invitation
- 2. Setup & Materials
- 3. Participation Flow
- 4. Group Configuration
- 5. Sequence & Timing
How you frame the purpose or question that sets the focus and energy of the group.
“Make a list of about 6 fears, worries, or insecurities that you carry with you. Then transform them into little demons or monsters — giving them shape, character, and names. Finally, let at least one of them dance and celebrate, transforming your relationship with that fear.”
The arrangement of space and which tools or resources are needed to support interaction.
- Blank sheets of paper (one per participant)
- Pens, markers, or colored pencils
- No drawing skills required — stick figures and simple shapes work perfectly
- Online: use digital whiteboard tools or simple drawing apps
- Create a playful, non-judgmental atmosphere
Who gets a voice and how everyone is actively included in the process.
- Individual work throughout — this is personal reflection
- Optional sharing moment at the end (Monster Party)
- No pressure to share — participants decide what feels safe
- Facilitator encourages playfulness and self-compassion
How people are arranged (alone, small groups, or all together) and how this shifts during the activity.
- Works solo or in groups of 2-99+
- Optional Monster Party with the whole group
The step-by-step flow of the activity and the time given to each step to keep energy and focus.
- Invite participants: “Make a list just for yourself of about 6 fears, worries, or insecurities on a sheet of paper.” (2 min)
- “Turn the paper over and divide it into four quadrants (by folding or drawing lines).” (<1 min)
- Guide them to fill each quadrant: “In the first section, draw something round,” “in the second, a curly or squiggly line,” “in the third, an angular closed shape,” “and in the fourth, scribble any shape you like.” (each <1 min)
- “Now transform each of these shapes into a demon or monster by adding eyes, teeth, hair, wings, claws, or similar features.” (2-5 min)
- “Look at your list of fears: Which fear fits which demon? Assign four of your fears to the demons. Give each demon a fitting name that reflects the fear.” (2 min)
- “Now choose one (or more) demons that you’d like to see differently. Draw your chosen demon dancing! Let it celebrate and do something joyful — either in the original drawing or on a new sheet. If you want, give it a new name to match its new character.” (1-2 min per demon)
- Encourage playfully: “Put this paper in your pocket before you next find yourself in a relevant situation. Think of your little monsters — they belong to you, but they don’t control you. Be kind to your monsters.” (1 min)
- Optional: “Let’s have a Monster Party! Walk around the room, show your dancing demons, and check out others’ demons.” (Virtual: hold your demons up to the camera) (2-5 min)
Total time: 15-20 minutes
Online version
Adapted for virtual use, with the same impact
All the steps are the same as described above.
- Let participants draw on actual paper (no digital whiteboards).
- For the optional step of sharing Tiny Demons; let participants hold up their dancing demon in front of the camera.
Total time: 15-20 minutes
Solo version
Adapted for individual use and personal development
- Step 1 – List Your Fears: On the first sheet, write about 6 fears, worries, or uncertainties from work, relationships, projects, or life transitions. Be honest—this is just for you. (2 min)
- Step 2 – Prepare Drawing Canvas: Turn the second sheet over and divide it into four equal quadrants by folding or drawing lines. (1 min)
- Step 3 – Draw Four Shapes: In each quadrant, draw one simple shape (3–4 min total):
- something round,
- a curvy, squiggly line,
- an angular, closed shape,
- a spontaneous scribble.
- Step 4 – Transform Into Demons: Turn each shape into a demon or monster by adding eyes, teeth, hair, wings, claws, or other features. Be playful and creative—no right or wrong. (3–5 min)
- Step 5 – Match Fears to Demons: Assign four of your fears to the four demons and give each one a name that reflects the fear (e.g., “Rejection Monster”, “Failure Goblin”). Write the names near or on each demon. (2 min)
- Step 6 – Make Them Dance: Choose one or more demons and draw them dancing, celebrating, or doing something joyful. You can add to the original drawing or use new paper. Optionally, give them a lighter or funnier name. (2–3 min per demon)
- Step 7 – Integration: Fold up the paper with the dancing demons and keep it with you. When the fear returns, remember they belong to you but don’t control you. Acknowledge them, maybe thank them, and then choose how you want to respond. (1 min reflection)
Total time: 10-20 minutes
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- Simple methods for big changes
- Have interactions that truly matter
- Build a culture of innovation step by step
- Involve and activate everyone in the group
Proven over decades
🧠 Why it works
Liberating Structures are not magic tricks—they work because they tap into how people naturally think, connect, and collaborate. Each structure is carefully designed to unlock participation, spark creativity, and build trust, using principles grounded in social science and human interaction.
Attribution: Liberating Structure in Development. Many thanks to Lynda Barry for the original idea and concept, and to Nancy White, Fisher Qua, and many others for evolving this Liberating Structure.
Note: As a Liberating Structure in Development, Tiny Demons hasn’t been tested in all possible scenarios and doesn’t always deliver predictable results yet. This simply means it’s still being refined through practice and feedback from facilitators worldwide.
Externalization
By giving fears physical form and visual representation, we create distance from them — they become something we can observe rather than something that controls us.
Playful reframing
Transforming fears into dancing, celebrating creatures strips them of their heaviness and terror, making them easier to accept and work with rather than fight against.
Self-compassion activation
The lighthearted, artistic approach creates psychological safety to acknowledge vulnerabilities without shame, normalizing that everyone has "demons."
Cognitive restructuring
Naming and characterizing fears makes them concrete and manageable, moving them from abstract anxieties to specific patterns we can recognize and address.
Riffs and Variations
Start with creative constraints to learn this structure and then... go liberate yourself and try some variations.
- Beyond fears: Instead of fears, work with limiting beliefs, behavioral patterns, ticks, or character traits
- Context-specific demons: Frame fears around a specific upcoming project, workshop, or change initiative
- Demon dialogue: After drawing, have people write what their demon would say to them, and what they’d say back
- Group demon gallery: Create a shared space (physical or digital) where people can anonymously share their dancing demons
- Demon allies: Instead of just dancing, transform demons into allies or helpers with new superpowers
- Monster Party Deluxe: Do some actual dancing, pin demon drawings on your back and let everyone dance together through the room. Have some fun looking at each others drawings while dancing
Tips
Lessons learned from other facilitators.
- Emphasize repeatedly that no drawing skills are needed — stick figures are perfect
- Model playfulness yourself — show your own silly demon if it helps
- Remind people to choose fears they can safely face, not their worst nightmares
- Keep the energy light and fun — this isn’t therapy, it’s playful acknowledgment
- Make sharing completely optional — some demons are private
- Encourage people to keep their demon drawings as reminders
- Use Jon Kabat-Zinn’s quote: “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf”
Traps
Don't make the same mistakes.
- Going too deep too fast — keep it playful, not traumatic
- Forcing people to share their demons publicly
- Allowing the exercise to become heavy or serious instead of lighthearted
- Rushing the drawing time — people need space to play
- Forgetting to close with encouragement and self-compassion
- Using this when people aren’t ready to be vulnerable (build safety first)
Try it with…
The real power of Liberating Structures emerges when you combine them into "strings." Link different structures together to build on insights and create more powerful results. Here are some nice combinations:
- TRIZ to identify and eliminate barriers after acknowledging them
- What I Need From You (WINFY) to ask for support with specific demons
- Heard, Seen, Respected to deepen psychological safety before or after
- 15% Solutions to identify small actions to befriend your demons
- Purpose-to-Practice (P2P) to design practices that account for common fears
- Troika Consulting to get support with a specific demon you want to work with
Field stories
To get to know Liberating Structures without having used them yourself, it helps to see familiar situations from real-life practice. Chances are that you or your team have faced one of these challenges before. Discover how to approach these kinds of situations in a fresh and engaging way.
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Tiny Demons
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