Can A Hobby Improve Your Mental Health? Studies Say Yes

Photo by Pixabay

When you’re struggling with mental illness or addiction recovery, the world can seem like a very dark and scary place: It’s tough to get your mind away from the emotional demons that haunt you. That’s why taking up a new hobby can help you channel your stress and boredom into a whole new activity.

Hobbies keep us entertained as well as motivated. We take up hobbies for varying reasons, from stress reduction to socializing. Some hobbies stick while others end up in a box in the closet, but trying something new is always a good start.

It turns out that having a hobby is more than just fun — it’s good for you, too. It gives you an outlet for creativity; it keeps your mind engaged; it gives you a chance to socialize; it gives you something to be passionate about; and it can give you a sense of accomplishment.

Some hobbies, such as art, woodworking and sewing can even help those in addiction recovery because it gives them a new target instead of the destructive focus of addiction. When the urge to drink or use drugs hits, participating in a creative hobby steers the mind back to the immediate task at hand and helps give the brain a new place to center.

Here are some hobbies that might help you with your behavioral health struggles:

Learn an instrument — Learning to play music can increase cognitive function in your brain and can raise your IQ by seven points! Scientists have found that musicians have functionally and structurally different brains than the rest of us, and this skill of learning and improving can help us in our day-to-day lives. Plus, once you learn to play, you can entertain your friends and family with your mad skills.

Read a book — A lot of people read, but most don’t consider it a hobby or passion. However, it should be. Reading keeps your brain sharp. Reading a challenging tome, such as a nonfiction book or classical epic, sharpens your reading comprehension and can reduce stress.

Cut a rug — Dancing is good for mind, as well as body. When you learn some new steps, you’re challenging your coordination skills while you exercise. Exercise increases your body’s production of endorphins, which boost your mood and give you a sense of well-being. Plus, if you learn to dance with a partner, you’ll make a new friend and have a few laughs.

Knit your brow — Textile arts such as knitting, crocheting and sewing are excellent for building your focus and giving you a sense of accomplishment. Many people learn to knit when they quit smoking so that their hands can stay busy. It’s something you can do while watching TV or you can join knitting clubs where you can make new friends. When you’re finished, you’ll have made something amazing for yourself — or to give as a gift.

Meditation — Meditation is a skill to be learned like any other. It may seem simple, but forcing your mind to sit still is no easy task. Yoga is a good way to start because meditation is often practiced alongside yoga (and you’ll get the physical benefits of yoga). Meditation is also good for relieving stress, anxiety and improving sleep.

Visual arts — You may not think you have the ability to create beautiful art, but you’re probably wrong. Taking an art class or participating in art therapy can help you express your creativity and give you a real sense of accomplishment. Drawing, painting and even just coloring in a coloring book can be meditative and healing.

Whatever your passion turns out to be, picking up a hobby will improve your life in ways you didn’t expect.

 

written by Aimee Lyons over at diydarlin.com

Moving Your Art Studio? Here’s How To Pack The Right Way

Nobody enjoys moving, but moving with art supplies and artwork presents its own unique set of challenges and frustrations. If you’re relocating your art studio, it’s important to protect expensive art supplies from damage or loss and carefully pack irreplaceable artwork so it arrives at its new home intact. Coming in at number 3 in a list of the top 10 items most likely to be damaged during a move, artwork deserves extra time and care to ensure its safety during transport. Read on for a few important tips for securely packing up your studio for a move.
Secure Flat Files
If you have a well-stocked flat file or other loose artwork, the safest way to transport it is to roll it and store it in cardboard tubes. These tubes are cheap to come by, and they protect loose artwork from bending or tearing during transport. Aim for tubes at least 3 inches in diameter in order to limit bending as much as possible. If you’re rolling more than one piece into a single tube, use a non-stick barrier paper like glassine between each item. Pack the tubes into cardboard roll files to secure them during transport.
Protect Canvasses
If you have to move canvasses or framed artwork like paintings and prints, you’ll want to pick up some special materials to prevent damage during a bumpy ride or humid weather. Stretch wrap keeps items tightly bound so they don’t bend or break in transit. It’s also effective at sealing pieces from moisture and preventing damage from packing materials. Without shrink wrap, newspaper ink could transfer onto artwork, and packing peanuts could end up stuck to oil paints. For framed pieces, create an X across the glass with painter’s tape before encasing the item in stretch wrap. This offers a little extra protection, and helps keep the glass together in the event of a breakage.

Once a canvas is wrapped up, surround it in a couple of layers of bubble wrap for cushioning. Then place it in a cardboard box that’s just big enough for the canvas and two to three inches of dunnage material, like packing paper or packing peanuts, around each edge.
Crate Ceramics and Sculptures
If you’re moving sculptures, pottery, or other three-dimensional artwork, wooden crates offer the safest way to transport breakable pieces securely. You can commission custom crates with built-in framing and padding for maximum protection. While crating company services can be costly, it’s the best way to ensure that treasured pieces reach their destination in one piece. Plus, you can hang onto the crate for your next move or use it when you sell the artwork. If you’re handy with carpentry and have access to tools, you may also be able to construct your own crates using lumber, plywood, and foam insulation.
Box Up Supplies
Stretch wrap is your friend when it comes to packing up small supplies like brushes, paints, bottles, and other utensils. Not only will it keep things from getting knocked around, it will also secure the lids of bottles so you aren’t faced with a mess when you start unpacking. Once you have items grouped and bound, pack them into boxes with ample packing material, and label each box so it’s easy to prioritize unpacking and find what you need.

If you’re moving in hot weather, take special care with oil paints and mediums and solvents like turpentine. Not only can excessive heat compromise the integrity of your supplies, but some chemicals could also ignite if left in a hot vehicle for too long. Make sure any chemical supplies are in well-labeled boxes, and schedule them to be loaded last and unloaded first.

As an artist, your studio is one of the most valuable things you own, from the years of accumulated supplies to the hard-fought fruits of your labor. So when it comes time to move your studio, you want to be sure that your investments are protected the best they can be. If doing it all yourself seems daunting, consider hiring professional help. You can find moving companies that specialize in transporting artwork and supplies so you can rest easy knowing your work is in safe hands.

 

Image via Pixabay

This guest blog post was written by Aimee Lyons. We so appreciate her taking the time to write this.

3 Reasons Why You SHOULD NOT Share Your Goals

By Nicole Tinkham

It’s totally normal wanting to keep your big, hairy, crazy goals to yourself. Sometimes those goals are just too huge to share with others because what if you fail? You’ll feel like a complete idiot to the rest of the world. It’s just so much safer to keep them to yourself to avoid that humiliation. You’ll also hear people recommend doing the exact opposite by sharing your goals with the world. Many people say that doing this will hold you accountable to those goals. Not wanting to let those people down actually pushes you to achieve your big goal. So what are you supposed to do? Tell people your goals or keep them to yourself? We’ll dive into this a little bit deeper in this blog as we discuss the top 3 reasons why you SHOULD NOT share your goals.

1.    Don’t share your goals with the wrong people. You may not think twice about this when a certain goal pops into your head. You’re so excited about it and you just want to tell everyone what your big plans are. But beware; it’s important that you tell the right people. Go ahead and tell the people who will support you. They are the people who even if they don’t think the things you’re doing are the right choice, have your back anyway. They love you and will be a positive influence on all that you do no matter what. If you have people like that in your life you should, by all means, tell them.

The issue comes in when you tell someone who doesn’t want to see you succeed at your goals. Do not share your goals with someone who continuously puts you down or breaks your spirit. Why would you be friends with someone like that anyway? Also, don’t share your goals with those who you know will try to get you to back down from doing them. Your mother (or anyone you’re close with) for example, may not agree with what you’re doing. She loves you and supports you but maybe she also nags you and tries to steer you in a different direction every chance she gets. If this happens, be polite and continue on with your plans anyway. When you share your goals with the wrong people, you may be holding yourself back from your full potential. You may not even get started at all which is even scarier.

2.    Don’t celebrate too much before you even do anything. When you announce that you’re about to do something big, like quit smoking, for example, people will be excited for you. That’s an incredible goal to improve your life. While it may feel awesome to get congratulated before you even get started, it can take away the excitement of the actual achievement. It’s all fun and games until you have to put in the work, right? Plus, how many of these people will still be there throughout your journey cheering you on? Hopefully a lot of them but you just never know. They could fall off as soon as things start to get difficult, right when you need them most.

Remember that this is your journey. The important thing is that you get started. Worry about that and that alone for now. You can celebrate along the way with every victory but don’t exhaust yourself before you start. Be clear to others that this is only the beginning.

3.    Don’t pretend you’ve already achieved your goals (too much). Talking about where you see yourself in the future satisfies the need to achieve that goal in which case you may never follow through with actually achieving it. The more you talk about it, the more comfortable your mind feels with staying where you’re at and not putting in the extra work. Now I don’t 100% fully believe in this but one thing I do know for sure is that it is incredibly satisfying picturing, dreaming and talking about the life you want to live and the goals you want to achieve. It really is heavenly. The trick is not getting too comfortable and finding it in you to get to work and make it happen.

We’ve talked about why you shouldn’t tell someone else your goals and they all make sense for the most part, right? If you tell the wrong people, they could bring you down and demotivate you. If others celebrate before you even start, it takes away the excitement of achievement. And if you talk about your goals enough as if you’ve already accomplished them, you’re satisfying the mind and feel at peace with where you’re at even if it’s not your reality. But all of these things can be flipped, making telling others your goals a huge benefit for you.

Telling the right people about your goals can lift you up and take you further than ever imagined.

Having others root you on before getting started and throughout the journey can motivate you to keep pushing forward even when things get difficult.

Thinking and talking about your goals often gets you in the right mindset with a clear vision of what you want. As long as you follow through, it can help you make your dreams come to life.

As long as you do it right, telling others about your goals can actually benefit you. Just be smart about it. Tell the right people, know that starting is just the beginning, and take action on those big goals to make them happen. In the end, it’s up to you on how you handle your goals and who you tell about them. Find what works best for you. If that means keeping it to yourself, that’s totally fine. Just continuously look at and work toward those goals. You can do this. Get focused on what you want and get to work!

4 Ways To Have A Better Attitude And Change Your Entire Life

By Nicole Tinkham

What if I told you that your attitude has EVERYTHING TO DO with your success in life? Looking at your attitude right now as you’re reading this, are you setting yourself up for that success?

Be honest with yourself. This is nothing to be ashamed of if you’re feeling a little down in the dumps right now. Any little thing can make us feel this way and everyone goes through it. Having a bad attitude does not make you a bad person. You just need to tweak little things you’re doing to live a happier and more successful life. Read on for 4 ways to have a better attitude and change your entire life.

1.    Change your perspective

How often do you stress out over paying the bills or not selling enough artwork? Whatever it is that has you stressed out in life will only get worse if you keep focusing on the problem.

Instead, work on fixing that problem. Have a vision of what your life will look like without that problem, create a plan, take action and make a change. You will always have that problem and negativity in your life if you do nothing to change it.

Also keep in mind that you will fail. Nothing great ever comes out of change without a few failures. You can’t avoid it. But what you can do is get back up and try again. Never give up. Sometimes there are certain lessons you must learn before figuring it out.

2.    Smile

You probably hear advice on smiling more often to be happier in life and honestly, I thought it was ridiculous at first too. Just because you look happy on the outside doesn’t really mean you are happy. Isn’t that just being fake?

It is an actual fact that smiling does make you happy on the inside as well. Your body somehow thinks “Oh, we’re smiling. We must be happy.” I don’t know how it works but it does so just give it a try!

Having trouble smiling when you’re just having one of those days you wish you stayed home in bed and don’t want to face life? Trust me, I’ve been there too. What you need to do is take some time to yourself. Reflect and think about your goals and what you want to accomplish in life. Do more of what makes you happy and you’ll have an easier time wearing your smile.

3.    Set goals for a better life

When you set big goals for yourself, you’re working towards a better future and that’s something to get excited over. But setting goals is much more than scribbling a list of things you hope to accomplish in the year.

You must set goals and have an action plan. How will you actually achieve them? Have deadlines along the way so you can measure your progress.

You also want to have a clear vision of your life once you accomplish this huge goal as well as a strong why. This is what will keep you going when you want to give up.

Understand that this is a journey that will take time. You may become frustrated in the process but it will all be worth it in the end. To really get in the right mindset, try meditation and write down daily gratitude’s. Thinking about the blessings you already have in life will help you push through to your goal.

4.    Take a break

I’ve found in myself as well as others that when my attitude is off, all I really need is a simple break. Maybe that’s taking a vacation and escaping for awhile or maybe it’s just sitting at home in silence. We work our minds so much in day to day life that we just get really burned out but we keep on going which makes the situation worse. We get irritable and that’s when we get in a funk.

If sitting at home in silence to clear your mind isn’t your thing, spend some time with positive friends. Quality time with the right people can make a world of difference in your attitude as well as your success. Become friends with people who share the same vision and passions for life as you do. These are the people who will lift you up and inspire you to live happier.

I just gave you 4 simple ways to have a better attitude and change your entire life. It’s not difficult or complicated. It’s figuring out who you are and what you want in life. This is where your happiness lies. Focus on the solution versus the problem, smile more often, set goals for a better life and take breaks when needed. It’s not always easy to implement these changes in life but would you rather take a chance on them or waste away life being unhappy?

6 Ways To Live A Creative Life Outside The Art Studio

By Nicole Tinkham

If your artwork is something you enjoy on the side of a completely different full time job or if you just have a lot of other things on your plate, it may be difficult to blend your creative side with everyday life. I know it’s difficult for me to think about my personal life while at the office and also the other way around (thinking about office work while at home). Sometimes this is a good thing! You certainly don’t want to bring the stresses of your full time work into the art studio. But what if you could bring your creative passion into what you do full time? Wouldn’t that make your day so much more enjoyable? Well I have good news because you CAN bring your creativity into every area of your life and I’ll show you how.

1.    Have a sketchbook with you at all times

You probably won’t realize this until you start really paying attention but you have so many windows of time scattered throughout the day that you most likely are wasting. It’s those 15 minute breaks at the office, the extra 5 minutes left over after you eat your lunch, the 2 minutes you arrive to work early, the 15 minutes while dinner is cooking, the 20 minute commute to and from work, and the extra 10 minutes of laying in bed in the morning that really add up. I’ve just rambled off over an hour of time throughout your day that could be spent on creative activities and I’m sure there’s even more you’ll discover.

Take these windows of time and either create art, think about art, or gain new creative inspiration. Take a walk on your 15 minute breaks and discover something inspiring. Jot down some creative ideas that you’ve been thinking of or practice quick sketches. You can even listen to art podcasts in the car for fresh new ideas.

You say you don’t have time for art but in reality, the time is there. We all have the same 24 hours a day, it just all depends on how you use it.

2.    Share your passions

Start talking about your passions to your co-workers and other people around you. You could end up being the go-to person for creative advice. Of course you don’t only want to talk about your artwork if it doesn’t seem like anyone is interested but give people helpful tips and tricks that they’ll really appreciate. You may make some new artsy friends along the way too. Never be ashamed of who you are and what you like to do. You have no idea who you could possibly help if you never open your mouth and share.

3.    Look for creative tasks

Whether it’s planning a theme for the office party or helping a friend decorate their home, you can bring your creative skills and talents into the mix. The trick is to just speak up! If you overhear someone mention needing help in an area you’re skilled in, jump on the opportunity. Even small things that you can give your opinion on will go a long way and help you enjoy the not so artsy tasks that come up.

4.    Keep learning

So maybe you can’t bust out the art tutorial YouTube videos you’ve been dying to watch in the middle of your day job. But you can strive to learn new things that do relate to your job. Any type of learning can trigger new creative ideas because your mind is working differently and taking new things in. This is where having your sketchbook on you becomes helpful. When a new idea strikes, write it down.

5.    Allow the not so fun tasks help you grow as an artist

If you don’t enjoy your day job, you could wind up feeling really down about the position you’re in and not fully enjoy what you do every day. But here’s a little secret: there are many things you can learn and apply from that full time job (or any other task you don’t like doing) to other areas of your life, like your art. For example, working with customers is a great way to learn how to deal with people in your own art business. Figure out ways you can apply your day to day work and tasks to the things you are passionate about.
Remember, you are where you’re at in life right now for a reason. There’s something to be learned in this season of your life so make the most of it and let that move you forward.

6.    Spend time with the right people

Once you start being open about your creative side, sharing what you’re doing and offering help to others you’ll probably start forming a tribe or a group of like-minded thinkers. Chat and get together with these artsy people often to get the creative ideas flowing. Be open to meeting new people and going to different art events. Spending time with others who just “get” you is so empowering.

Who says creativity has to stay in the art studio? Art is all around you in nature, buildings, packaging, clothing and more. Art makes people happy. I’ve seen it with my own eyes so I encourage you to spread the joy. Be yourself and always stay creative in every area of your life.

Tell us, how do you stay creative all day long?

Your How-To Guide For Balancing Art Time With Everything Else

By Nicole Tinkham

If your head is spinning with all the things that you want to and have to do on a daily basis, I can totally relate. It’s tough to manage a family, the bills, a job, other responsibilities, and also time for yourself (like your art time). Sometimes it just doesn’t feel like there’s enough time in the day to get it all done, right? The good news is that managing your art time with everything else that’s going on is quite simple. It will take some organizing, prioritizing, planning and dedication but it’s certainly achievable. If I can make it all work in my life, I’m confident that you can too. Read on for your how-to guide for balancing art time with everything else.

1.    Have dedicated art space

The first thing you must do is separate your art space from your family or other space at home. This can be very difficult for the artist and I understand that but there’s a reason for it. As artists, we can easily get lost in our artwork. If there are art supplies throughout the house you’ll be tempted to work on your art and put other important things off. Or if you’re stressed out because you don’t have time for your art, it’s a constant reminder of what you’re not doing which can make you feel worse.

By keeping your art space separate, you won’t feel so scattered and you’ll actually be able to focus on one thing at a time. So how in the world are you supposed to keep your art stuff together and separate from everything else in your house?? I have a few suggestions..

First thing’s first, you must get organized. Gather similar supplies (all watercolor supplies, for example) and store them together. Donate anything you never use. Invest in or create the perfect storage solutions for your supplies and save space wherever you can. If you have an extra bedroom or basement area, this is perfect for your separate art room. If you do not have a separate room, you could put up a screen or room divider to create your own little space.

One thing you can’t control is the creative ideas that flow in at the most random moments. These ideas are good though! Carry a journal with you everywhere and jot down those ideas as they come. That way you’ll get the idea down on paper and out of your mind so you can move your focus onto other things.

2.    Set your priorities

Once your space is organized it’s time to set your priorities. Many people skip over this step when getting started in something new and are disappointed when they still aren’t happy. Sometimes adding more art time to your life can hurt you if you aren’t allowing enough time for other things that you care about.

For example, if you put family as your main priority and art as your secondary, this means your family comes first. Always. If you chose art over a family birthday party, you may not be very happy with your decision because you’re missing out on something important.

Take a look at every area of your life (career, hobbies, family, relationships, health, faith, and finances) and rank them in order of their importance to you. If an opportunity comes up that takes you away from your main priority it may not be ideal for you to go after. Prioritizing will help you in the next step, blocking time in your schedule to actually get more accomplished.

3.    Block time in your calendar

Whether you’re an organized person or not, you need to invest in a good planner! If you take a look at your calendar, you’ll discover a lot of time in your day. When you’re blocking time to do certain things, understand that this scheduled time will be focused and productive time to really get things done.

Start with your main priority and block out time for those things first. If your main priority is family, you may block time in for a family party or a planned dinner out. Move onto the next priority which may be your full time job. Block out the time you will be busy with that. Then move onto the next thing and keep going until your calendar is full (or nearly full – you’ll want to keep some time open to relax).

Tip: Color code your blocks of time to differentiate your priorities. Family events are green for example while art time is purple.

When planning your calendar, it’s a good idea to leave a little buffer room between activities and leave some down time to just relax! Block your time consistently every single week. Of course things will come up and alter your schedule but having an idea of how your week looks will really help keep your priorities in line.

4.    Have a chat with your friends and family

You are now on a mission. You will get more done and you’ll start having focused time in the areas that mean the most to you. This is huge! It’s time to sit down with the people closest to you and let them know your plan. Keeping them in the dark about what’s going on could confuse them (why is she locking herself in the art room from 6-7:30 pm and not talking to anyone?). Explain your goals and what you hope to accomplish with them. Make it clear what’s important to you and share your calendar with them so they know not to distract you during your art time or whatever else you have scheduled.

I hear from artists all the time who describe their art space and life as “organized chaos”. I completely understand how that works out for you because I can be the same way. However, when prioritizing my schedule and finding time for all the things I want to do, I find it very helpful to stay at least somewhat organized. Of course you don’t have to be perfect but when it comes to your planner, have things in order to keep you on track. That’s the biggest way I’ve seen improvement in my productivity.

I would love to know, will you be using these steps to balance your art time with all the other things you do? I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

13 Questions To Ask Yourself When Teaching An Art Workshop

By Nicole Tinkham

Congratulations, you’ve made the decision to take your art to the next level and start teaching art workshops. That is huge! If you’re taking this on, we’ll assume you’ve attended an art workshop in the past or have a general idea of what they’re all about. However, there are many behind the scenes things you must consider that will either make or break your art workshop. Planning ahead is definitely the key and we’ll discuss 13 questions to ask yourself when teaching an art workshop so you’re ready to rock your first session.

1.    What is your goal?
Consider why you’re teaching this art workshop. Is it to get your name out there as an artist? Make a little money on the side? Earn a full time income? Meet new local artist friends? Help and inspire other artists? Be clear on what you want to accomplish with your art workshop so you can gauge whether or not it was a success.

2.    Where will the workshop be held?
Next you’ll need to determine where you’ll host this art workshop. You can do it in your own studio, rent a space, see if you can be featured in local art stores, or create videos and host your workshops online. We have many artists come into Keeton’s to host their art workshops and they get paid a certain percentage of each sign up. This tends to work out well for both the artist and the art store.

3.    How will you promote the workshop?
Promoting is often something we forget about until the very end of the planning stage however, we urge you to consider it in the very beginning. It’s great to have this master plan for the workshop itself but what kind of class would it be without anyone to attend? Consider how you will be inviting people to your workshop. Will you create flyers? Emails? Social media marketing? If you have no idea where to start, there are a ton of resources out there on the web to help you with the process as well as any experienced art instructors. Here at Keeton’s, we promote art workshops on our website, flyers in our store, emails and on our Facebook page.

4.    How will students see what you’re doing?
This is something that’s commonly forgotten when planning an art workshop. It is so important for the students to see what you’re doing so you must consider the amount of space around your work area. Is there enough room for artists to gather around and clearly view the technique you’re showing? Or will you be bringing in a mirror for artists to view from their own work area while they follow along? Something new we just added to our art room is a camera which projects a close up view of the instructor at work on large screens. This has been a total game changer for our workshops and the art students seem to really love it.

5.    How will you teach?
In the beginning, you won’t yet have a teaching style but it is something to consider. Will you walk around the room, helping students one on one? Will you have students follow along with you through the whole thing? Will you do a lot of talking and explaining? Or will it be more actual painting? With time, you’ll figure out what works best for you.

6.    Who is this workshop for?
You’ll also have to think about who would benefit from your art workshop. We like to think of a very specific avatar whenever we talk to our audience. Who will your art workshop be geared to? What skill level will they be at? How old are they? What art subjects are they interested in? This will help you promote and craft your art workshop to meet your ideal client’s needs.

7.    What supplies do they need?
Most art workshops will come with a supply list so this is something you definitely need to think about when planning out your workshop. Do a run through of your painting ahead of time (you should be doing this anyway for practice) and keep a list of all the supplies you use as you go. Be specific on paint colors and tools too!

8.    How much will it cost?
We really can’t tell you what you should price your art workshops at. It all depends on how long the workshop is, how experienced the artists are, what’s involved in the workshop and how well known you are as an artist (are your workshops always booked?).

9.    How long will it be?
Coming up with a length of time for your art workshop can be tricky. You don’t want to rush things and confuse the artists but you also don’t want it to be long and drawn out either. If it’s a longer workshop, we suggest including a lunch (either provided or bring your own) to break up the day. Some art workshops may be a two or three day ordeal. To figure out the perfect length for your workshop, do a practice run preferably with a friend who has never done this project. Allow them to ask questions as you go and give their feedback so you know approximately how long your workshop will take.

10.    What specifically will they learn?
Before taking an art workshop, artists like to know specific skills and techniques they’ll be learning and exactly what they’ll be creating. Be sure to let the student know what they can expect when promoting your workshop.

11.    Do they need to bring in a reference photo?
Think about what your art students will be working from. Will you provide a reference photo? Will they need to bring one in of their own? Or will they be tracing a pre-printed outline onto their art paper? This is a question that we get asked all the time by artists taking an art workshop so take it into consideration when doing your planning.

12.    How far will you get?
Also have in mind a goal for your art workshop so you can stay on task. Will students be completing a few small paintings? A large one? Or will they be taking it home to finish it up with the skills they have learned? Of course every artist works at a different pace but it helps to have an idea before starting your art workshop.

13.    How often will you teach workshops?
Let’s say you asked yourself these 13 questions before teaching an art workshop and it ended up being a huge hit and you had so much fun doing it. Now it’s time to start planning your next one! It’s a great idea to plan to do them regularly because if students loved it, they’ll want to sign up right away for the next one. Determine how often you’d like to host art workshops and schedule in future workshops to teach.

We understand that these are a lot of things to keep in mind before starting an art workshop. Be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to figure out all the planning and don’t be too hard on yourself if it doesn’t run perfectly. After each and every art workshop you should evaluate what went well and what you can improve on for next time. Even experienced art instructors do this! You will always be learning and improving but these 13 questions to ask yourself when teaching an art workshop will put you on the path to success.