WORKSHOP WONDER AND LIGHTBULB MOMENTS

 CREATIVE WORKSHOP WONDERS 
& LIGHTBULB MOMENTS

There are so many inspirational memes about how to live a lovely life. About overcoming obstacles, living out our dreams, or being the person we dream of being. Feeling the fear and doing it anyway, that type of thing. Sometimes I read them and it has no effect, other times it feels like a lightbulb just went on in my head. 

On this little journey of trying to lead a more creative life, I have way too often compared myself to others and found myself wanting. And feeling crappy. Sigh.

I am slowly learning that rather than compare myself to others I need to just compare me to me... and as long as I am going along, learning, doing new things, pushing myself, stepping up to the plate, then it is all good. Really.

I wrote a blog a while ago about feeling like a winner, a most unusual feeling! One of the fabulous things that came from being named a winner was that a couple of awesomely stupendous successful business ladies asked me to host some creative workshops with them. They are beautiful creatures, entrepreneurial, successful  well known and basically totally inspirational. Amongst other things, they run Little Lane Workshops together... and I was gobsmacked and thrilled to be asked to be part of this venture.

Of course, my initial reaction (after squealing) was OH MY GAWD! Feeling a little sick in the stomach, and feeling like a tsunami of fear engulfing me.

But I gulped, and said SURE THING. 

I admit it took a while to get the ball rolling, but I nibbled off little bits at a time. I began looking at stock needed, I started formulating possible workshop ideas, I began pricing up costs and then I began to get EXCITED.

I went to other workshops myself to see how it was done, and as the weekend inched closer, I did a dry run of lessons at home, and then tweaked ideas and lesson plans.

The crazy, mad, insane, ridiculous thing is... I am a teacher! A university trained, practicing actual teacher! It is my other profession! I teach art every week. And have done for years. It is just that it is usually to little people.

And art, and creating is my other profession. And I have done this since forever. And have a University degree in this too.

  Some simple drawings, like you might find at one of my workshops

So actually, teaching at workshops is the perfect marriage, a wonderful dovetailing of skills. 

Lightbulb moment Shani, you dufus. 

So how did the workshops go?

They were fabulous! Wonderful people came to them, oozing  creativity, eager to learn and sparkling and shiny eyed. The feedback was positive, enthusiastic and thankful.

Vignetting props 

PLEASE come back the participants said! We want more!

The space was beautiful and inspiring, the art materials plentiful and top notch. It really was lovely. I do not know what I was so scared of. Silly me.

Drawing workshop

Since then, I have had a few more workshops, and am planning others too. I will need bums on seats, and lots of peeps to support me, and that bit still scares me. What if no-one comes? I am not famous. I am not a big brand name. Nervous! 

Drawing workshop

Then I remember all the great things people have written to me, said to me, commented on my posts about how much they have enjoyed and learnt from my teaching. I reflect upon how nerves can be a good thing. And I ignore all those silly thoughts.(Having said that, please come to one if you can! tell or your friends, share my posts, write it in the skies, broadcast to all and sundry...) 

Perhaps the nicest thing though, the coolest thing, was that I knew spending a few hours creating would be super uber fun and enrich the soul but what I had not thought about was the connectedness, the networking, the interaction and laughs, the sharing that goes on at these workshops. It fills the heart. 

Lovely ladies and me! Litle Lane Workshops

And I had not anticipated how many people are craving being creative and want to get back to touching, feeling, making. I wonder why when I feel like it myself! I wonder why these things take so long to realise? I wonder why it took me so long to get workshops happening! But eventually I did. Thanks to lightbulbs.BLING!

So many wonderful lightbulbs!  

LOOK! a little simple watercolour video 

PS.My next workshops are at 

LITTLE LANE WORKSHOPS 

in Brookvale Sydney, 

on Saturday July 2

Simple Watercolour & Simple Mindful Drawing

and also

Flatlay, Instagram and Editing

& Watercolour 101

on Saturday 6 August

 Tickets are available on their website