Tokens of Amor

The Skillery's Nasvhille Creativity Summit was two full days full of creative collaboration and focusing on ways to grow as an individual while giving back to the city which is endless in its inspiration.

I have been out of the bubble of academia for a while so the feel of the weekend was laced with nostalgia for the days that were crisp with the energy of exchanging knowledge.  The workshop on Saturday the 9th was more reminiscent of a lecture-based course with speakers, power point presentations and only a couple of breaks to go out and soak up the returning sunshine that has been away during the winter months.  We were well caffeinated by Beve Mobile Coffee and I finally got to sample the goods of Bang Candy Company for lunch. I was impressed by and encouraged by the strong voice that women had among the guest speakers.  The panel discussion with Liza Graves, Kate Mills and Kaelah Bee was just what I needed to top off all of the preparations I had done for the Valentine-making workshop the next day.

I have to say, before anything else, that I would not have pulled off the class if it hadn't been for my roommate. She let me load her car down and offered to spend her morning off to help me out by arranging, rearranging, unpacking and sorting, tasting and moving everything around the shop all while I steadily babbled my thoughts out loud and worked myself into an excited mess.

For me, the preparations that go into teaching a class are similar to those that go into creating a painting. Planning the activities, looking at the workspace, gathering supplies and then making the projects before hand are for my pre-class routine what the laying out the brushes and solvents, scraping the palette and stretching the canvas are for my process of painting. I want the participants in the class to feel that they have the freedom to stand or sit and move around while working. Having options at your fingertips and the opportunity to use different materials on a whim allows the dream to become tangible.   I hope to provide a comfortable environment that enables the imagination during my classes. 

It was a joy seeing how the scraps of paper and pieces of ribbon were used transform the maps and magazines into Tokens of Amor that will be shared with loved ones this coming Thursday.  It was a wonderful day of loving love as my friend, Janelle of Panama Red Arts, says.