I'm Teaching Again!

I had great intentions when I started 2020. I wanted to dedicate a little more time to my creativity, because it has always been a strong part of personal well-being. Where I live, the winter days from January to April seem to last forever, and so I wanted to focus on some creative projects that would make those days more light-filled. Little did I know the challenges that the start of 2020 would bring to all of us!

learning to draw cute foods

In February, I started a membership with Skillshare, an online platform that provides online video classes in the subjects of art, illustration, creativity, productivity, photography and much more.  Skillshare works a lot like Netflix, it is a subscription based site, so you can take as many of their premium classes as you like, for a monthly fee. (They also have free classes.) With the right link or promo, you can get 2 months free, which I did. I thought I would give it a try, and then see if I wanted the subscription. 

my project from a class I took

I had wanted to start working on my illustrations a little more, and this looked like a great place to start.  There were so many to choose from - my list of courses I wanted to take quickly grew! I took some courses, and shared some of my projects in the community pages. I got wonderful feedback, from the instructors and fellow students. The more courses I did, the more I thought to myself, “I could do that!” 

In the past, when my kids were young, I had taught creative lettering and journaling classes at a local scrapbooking store.  I had also done some presentations at some different local conferences, and really enjoyed it.  Being a stay at home mom, it was a great opportunity for me to do something outside the home, and to continue growing my art and my style. 

When the internet first started, I changed my teaching to an online format, and sold my classes online through a digital format.  Through those classes, I met some wonderful people from all over the world, and made some friends that I have kept to this day. I had always intended to take my teaching to the next level, but like many things, the years kept going by…

So in March, I decided that I would make the commitment to my self that I would create my own class on Skillshare.  I decided that my first class would be an art journal layout.

The choice for a layout was a very easy one.  In these challenging times, it is more important than ever to note the positives. The everyday blessing. The silver linings in the clouds.

So, my first video class is about creating a “Treasures Layout”, which documents the simple joys and treasures at any given moment in time. A Treasures Layout can be  wonderful exercise in mindfulness, and gratitude. And, it can be a lot of fun!

I am hoping that teaching classes again will allow me to reconnect with some of my past students, from the online groups again, in addition to making new connections. And I am happy to say, I am already getting some positive feedback.
If you would like to see the intro to my class, you can follow my link here. Also, if you anyone who signs up for Skillshare Premium Membership through this link gets 2 free months, which is a great way to try before you buy!

I am going to continue taking classes myself, to keep that creativity spark lit! 

And, I am already thinking about what my next class will be.

If you have any ideas of what you would like to see me teach, please leave me a comment!