REQUIRED TEACHING EVENTS
During your Training you are required to lead four events, though of course we invite you to do as many as you like! Those of you who already have active practices can weave these into your existing paid offerings. Those of you who are new to teaching or don't have active clients, we recommend treating these workshops as a practice. It's a great start to ask a couple friends to be your students, (family works but many women report that they can be your toughest students!) You can also teach sessions to one another if you aren't able to find volunteers, but we recommend trying to teach to folks who aren't familiar with the culture - as you will need to develop and refine your language and descriptions for anyone for whom this is new.
Below you'll find details on what's required for each event. We recommend scheduling placeholder dates for the painting workshops and IC Sessions and looking for excuses to try a Red Thread circle immediately.
RED THREAD CIRCLE EVENT
(Schedule between 3/15 and 5/15)
The very first event that you will hold as a teacher is a simple Red Thread Circle with a minimum of two attendees.
For your Required Assignment you'll document your session with one or more photos. For example, photos of your participants (with permission), the altar, or a photo of your hands with the red threads. Plus you'll submit a brief write up including the theme of your circle and what you learned during your experience.
Although the Red Thread Circle is a basic offering, it is quite powerful. You will include Red Thread Circles as the beginning of your other teaching events - both of the Intentional Creativity Sessions and your 13 Step Painting Workshop - so consider this first Red Thread Circle event as an opportunity to practice holding space and creating a circle.
You can make ANY gathering Intentional when you add a Red Thread Circle. Put a ball of red thread in your purse and the next time you are with a couple friends give it try. Let this be easy!
We would love for you to have the tactile experience of thread taut between hands and the heart resonance that comes with being together in person! But given the constraints of our current realities, online circles are absolutely acceptable for this assignment.
If you have not already downloaded and begun reading the Way of the Red Thread, it is an excellent reference. (Find it on the Focus Page HERE.) Plus we recommend downloading the handouts and watching the Introduction to Red Thread Circles from 2018 and Quantum Connection from 2020 below for more context and inspiration.
IC Session One Event
(Schedule between 4/1-5/31)
You will be teaching two Intentional Creativity Sessions during the Training. Both require a minimum of two attendees. For the first session we recommend following one of the required project templates you are completing yourself: Soulful Story Cards, Creating Your Medicine Basket or House of the Heart.
Documentation of your IC Session includes (1) two or more photos of the completed creations and your set up/altar/red threads (2) one or more testimonials from participants (3) a brief write up with the theme of your session and what you learned during your experience.
Note that the photographs will be invaluable for your website so take the time to document!
We recommend you schedule this first IC Session with two or more friends/clients after you have completed Soulful Story Cards, Creating Your Medicine Basket and House of the Heart for yourself.
Photo - IC Session photo from Christina Keller
IC Session Two Event
(Schedule between 6/1-7/31)
For your second Intentional Creativity Session choose a topic that really calls to you - something that you feel strongly about and personally connected to. You can adapt Soulful Story Cards, Creating Your Medicine Basket or House of the Heart to bring your own twist to the teaching. You can teach some of the other watercolor based courses that have been shared ie The Storyteller Book, Amused, Critic and Muse, Chocolate for the Muse, Messages from the Muse, or Wild Card. You can dive into the following for more ideas: Illustrative Woman, Our Lady of Self Blessing, Colorful Scars. Or YES create your own. The intention for this second event is to stretch in some way. Again, there is a minimum of two attendees - friends or clients.
Documentation includes (1) two or more photos of the completed creations/ altar/ red thread /set up (2) one or more testimonials from participants (3) a brief write up including the theme of your session and what you learned during your experience.
Photo - IC Session with Becki DeBont
13 Step Painting Workshop
(Schedule between 8/1-9/30)
Your main teaching event is a 13 Step Painting Workshop delivered to two or more participants. Find RESOURCES to support you in planning and completing your workshop. We recommend you develop a theme that really calls you. You could use the template of a course that you enjoyed and adapt it so that it feel personal or use the 13 steps and build your own.
Note - the two day minimum is recommended for your ease. While it is possible to teach the 13 steps in one day, it is more difficult. If you can give yourself more time, we recommend it! We would like you to feel successful and satisfied at the end of your workshop.
Documentation includes (1) Outline of your workshop including the theme. (2) Two or more photos. At least one photo must be the finished paintings. (3) One or more testimonials from participants. (4) A brief write up of what you learned during your experience.
Photo - 13 Step Painting Workshop with Sarah Sutton
