Say that you do want to teach an art class? How should you begin?
There are a number of different starting points and each has its merits. You might begin by:
1. Focusing on what you want to teach (say, life drawing) and then making decisions about how best to do that.
2. Focusing on who you want to teach (say, process-oriented folks who aren’t interested in “finished products”) and then making decisions about what they need and what would attract them.
3. Focusing on how you want to teach (say, creating an instructional DVD versus teaching an adult extension class versus creating an online salon experience).
4. Focusing on where you want to teach (do you want to teach in your home from your computer and give telechats, do you want to invite folks into your studio, do you want to organize painting adventures in the south of France, and so on).
5. Focusing on why you want to teach (do you want an intimate small group experience, do you want to build your brand and reach many people with a DVD or a mega-class, do you want to create the opportunity to travel by setting up European teaching adventures, and so on).
There’s a bewildering array of ways to deliver a teaching experience once you make one of these decisions. These include:
+ Adult education classes, city recreation classes, and similar community-based opportunities
+ Workshop centers and retreat centers (like Omega, Kripalu, Esalen, or Hollyhock)
+ As faculty at a junior college, college or university
+ Live classes in your home, studio, or rented space
+ Individual instruction in your home, studio, or rented space
+ Audio or video teleclasses that include video conferencing, telechats, powerpoint presentations with voiceover instruction, etc.
+ Products like DVDs, audio lesson programs, ebooks, etc.
The basic procedure is to get your feet wet! Do some thinking, make a choice, and get started. You will only really know what you enjoy doing and what works for you by trying things out. You can start small, you can start grandly, or you can start somewhere in between. But starting is the key!
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Please make sure to take a look at my new artist’s survival kit!
https://www.newworldlibrary.com/BooksProducts/ProductDetails/tabid/64/SKU/82317/Default.aspx#