Are you struggling to make time for the creative exploration that you crave? Whether you are overwhelmed by social media inspiration, feeling like your hobby should be more productive, or just feeling guilty because should be working through your ‘real’ work, this class has a space in it for you.
We’ll look at the ways that guilt, shame, perfectionism and expectations block us from having a creative practice. We’ll approach our creativity in different ways and find ways to reframe our creative blocks.
It’s easy blame time – to put off creative expression until someday when you “have the time.” I have been there for years on end. Somehow, even when I made time, I would be so overwhelmed that I couldn’t start. Or I would expect SO MUCH from this miraculous time, that I felt like my scribblings were extremely discouraging. There was so much pressure to produce. But who was applying the pressure? Me.
If I had time or if I didn’t have time, I couldn’t make things that were good enough. And I grew to distrust my own creativity.
This course is the map of how I found my way back to trusting my creativity, and in turn, myself.
Who is this class for?
People who struggle with guilt around *taking* time for their creative practice. People who want to create new work, but worry that they can’t live up to their own ideas. People who feel overwhelmed by the flood of ✨inspo✨ on social media. People who feel *behind* on their creative achievements- even if they aren’t quite sure what they expected or what is realistic. People who expect themselves to produce more, even while cutting back on time for creative experimentation.
It’s for hobbyists, professionals, side hustlers, or people who haven’t engaged with their art for years.
It’s for painters, knitters, cake decorators, tinkerers musicians, writers, garment makers, woodworkers, scrapbookers, food stylists, ceramists, quilters, etc. — how ever you engage with your creativity, this class is about making more space to do it. We aren’t even going to bother with questions of “art vs craft” because there is no creative hierarchy here. I am going to help you find YOUR way to be creative at this moment in your life.
What our participants say:
“I so appreciated the space you made in this course to think about “how” I’m working, not just “what” I’m working on. Thank you!!!”
“Thank you for offering this class, Raheli. I’ve seen lots of creative workshops out there designed to teach skills and techniques, but none that I’ve seen that delve into the actual creative mind and offers such encouragement for adding it into our lives. Wonderful.”
“LOVED IT! Such great energy and I looked forward to it each week.”
“This month I have continuously created without questioning the ‘but where is this going? is this sellable? or marketable?’ and just trusted the process.”
“I’ve been able to work through some creative blocks without beating myself up, and I have some good ideas for ways to reduce friction/activation energy on some other projects going forward.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I creative ‘enough’ for this class – I don’t make art or anything?
Yes! Creativity comes in so many forms – for some people they feel most creative when they are cooking or making up silly songs for their kids. Some people engage in fine arts but feel like they have to follow a formula. We have all doubted our abilities when we made something and other people judged or shamed us. If you want to be creative, you already are! No need for you to follow someone else’s formula of what creativity looks like.
But what will be doing?
Each week I’ll share a talk on the weekly topic, a weekly assignment (a small task to do every day), a related worksheet. I will also share some optional readings or podcasts created by other people. We’ll have two virtual meetings a week, to discuss the topic, share your struggles and successes, and craft together.
We’ll check in daily using a private message board.
How much time is required?
The daily tasks can be done with a spare 10 minutes a day, the calls will be an hour, and my weekly talk is something you can listen to in less than 30 minutes. You can check into our private message board as you have time. You may find, as the weeks go on, that you are grabbing more free moments for this class, but it’s very flexible. There will be 2 chances to meet up every week so we can work on own own projects while enjoying casual conversation on the class topic. If you can’t attend either meeting, you’ll still able to check in, ask questions or dig into struggles with us on Slack.
When are the meetings?
We’ll have two options for live calls each week, and hopefully one of them will work for you. One will be on Tuesdays 8 PM EST, and the other will be on Thursdays at noon EST. The class materials will all be shared each week and you can listen/read at your convenience.
The calls are a chance to work on your own projects while we talk about the week’s materials. There will be a chance to ask questions, share successes, and talk through the spots where you are stuck.
What apps or technology do I need?
We’ll be checking in and sharing our daily’s tasks on Slack. If you have never used it before, it’s an easy-to-use private message board. No ads or distractions. And no chance of posting your personal question to your public feed by accident. We’ll have a few days before the class starts to check in to Slack and make sure everyone is finding their way.
Live calls will be held on Zoom.
But I have more questions…
Great! I would love to hear them. Send me a note at wanderingsnailpost /AT/ gmail.com