The first thing we are going to do this is going to be really fun. This is one of my favorite activities. We are going, tio determine our expertise. Ok, so I've told you my story. Um obviously attend tio like to teach quilting and bags as per my introduction established early on at an early age. But let's hear from you guys. What is your story? So I'm going to go to my my in studio audience and this will also go for the online. What makes you unique? What makes you unique? What do you bring to the table that others would want to learn? And what do you know how to dio so it's? All kind of connected. But what is it that you that makes you unique? Okay, and then the question really is what can you teach? So what is it that makes you you that you want to pass along, okay? And somebody once told me to think about it this way. What is it that comes really easy to you? Right? So what is it that you do in your craft that you find super simple or super easy, right? That everybody says to you, o...

h, my gosh, you need to show me how to do that you're like oh it's so easy but it's not that easy for everybody okay that's how you know it's something that you need to pass on okay because you find it really easy so what are you good at potentially what do people tell me that they want to learn for me okay and then what comes easy ok so let's hear from everybody here I'm gonna start with katie what is it that you you can teach a few ideas I've been selling a lot of standing close lately on that has been remarkably fees for b a man's great kind of a departure from what I usually do but it's fun basis panics clothing um I for my business I make stuffed animals um on most of them are pro shade but I sew them to thirty awesome so you've already got two great ideas and you guys who have the workbook can write these things down as we're going along I can't remember what pages but it's on the first page thank you because this is what we're going to put this slide up but it's the same question so write down a few as we're going along right down a few things the skills techniques, concepts just general ideas of things you can teach all right um let's go to edna hi I well, I've I've been drawing and painting since a very young age and something I almost took for granted but I didn't realize that you know, people valued it so there you go around to, you know, realizing that and I guess different techniques around drawing and painting and it also comes in handy and what I do as a graphic artist because instead of clip art or, you know, I can really easily modify clip art all kinds of clip art or, you know, of course produce my own for what I do as a graphic designer. So awesome. Yeah, and your stuff is really beautiful. You do a lot of multicultural. Yeah. Wait, that multi disciplined artists I also dance and and I write so I I work in the field of children's literature and work is a picture book writer illustrator. Yeah, your stuff is super unique and you have a lot of of potential stuff that you can really that will make you stand out as a teacher? Definitely. Yeah. Thank you for sharing. Um, I'm going to go over to holly. You know, what can I do things that make you unique as the teacher or some things that you teach that would be unique to you? Um, I guess my best is with color and texture, but and I can do it and so many I can't do it really, really big are really small, and I've also been a fabricator on films and tv shows so I know how to solve problems so I can kind of take some my best thing is taking somebody's idea and figuring out sometimes there's just not a straight path over so I think I have the um I think I have the patients just tell everybody like it's going to be okay yeah, very patient because I've never happened ever seen like some people like you said they think it's so easy and I like what you think is easy and they like just panic like their palms are sweating and like it's just act like you are it's good to see you ok I had a similar experience shooting sixth graders had a net one where it was like it was I had my expectation was so off you know and it literally took these girls like and our toe to do like one thing I was like ok and you don't like scale it back so yeah yeah expectations are key for going into a class okay, thank you, susan I'm good at embroidery and also needle felt ing sculpture um and like holly I'm really patient and people tell me impatient so I don't think I'm patient there you are so patient so okay awesome so you could teach embroidery, you know point those kinds of things yeah, I know I know how to draw designs and right I'd like to do custom design so I definitely think I'm struggling with that question of the what? Because I do a lot of I don't know what that thing did you have a lot of talent? Yeah, I am a graphic designer so the one paper craft is the thing that like is most similar between most things although I also do needle faulting a little bit um when you put up the slide about either doing teaching a technique or project based thing, the project based thing is the thing where I was like hoping like fighting with this idea about the technique like feeling like a be an expert at yeah, no way we're going to talk about the difference between the two and I think you'll really I think you'll love the project base yeah, the class structure paper based awesome which is really popular so there's a lot of student need for that or want I guess but also feels like there's like ever people are teaching a lot of things so it's true like but, you know, offering something that stopped right standing out but there's room for everybody just have that there's room for everybody even though it may seem like there's a lot of people doing that okay? All right kathy I also have a graphic design background I think my strongest suit or skill is composition okay creating contrast whether it's in materials or color and texture of the overall layout and designing the projects themselves. So are you do you do pay I you like paintings or what is your media when I do classes it's it's generally a lot of there's some paper crafting there's a lot of assemble aj theirs collaged cool I'm kind of all over the map teo I think a lot of us are I've done you know sewing projects yeah it's kind of not as much about I suppose the technique as the project because I want to try a bunch of techniques and I like throwing as many as possible into one project because it's just fun I like the you contrast of things yeah, I can see yourself I saw you did I mean really a mason jar that yeah, that was a paper craft was crap that was really and a lot so a lot of us are going toe I envision us all in in these environments for there's a lot of different stuff going on, you know, like in a quilting classroom you can kind of imagine what what to expect within reason right? But we also can open ourselves up for this idea that there could be like, multiple things going on like painting, sewing, collage anything okay, so that's really cool to keep that in mind to we don't have to just have a very streamlined idea what are classic like my committee or anything, you know, like one of the paper crafts that you saw in the jar decided to instead of just scoring the the house was stitched it with a sewing machine, so just kind of bringing in different techniques into the traditional project total one part that's really cool. I like that. Well, thank you. Is there anything from our online audience? There are several response rate and a question to rory says they're currently teaching quilting classes from the studio and mostly beginning advanced beginning called advanced beginning cultures and also they've done some small projects grocery bags, coasters. Sandra sandra glover clark says, I'll be teaching one person had to make wire wrapped rings on a couple of weeks cool and giving her most of my jewelry supplies that's why? I'm glad that there's a jewelry artists out there because, you know, there's, a couple there's, I have a few people who have asked me about jewelry classes, so that will be really good to have somebody on the online audience. Yeah, there's a few hillary people, cool story, crafts people, and this is a question and answer john real alberto, maybe it's jean says, I'm an established multimedia artist and want to teach classes and I think what is keeping me for doing this is if I teach how to do my craft then how do I stay you need with my products because I also do craft shows yeah you know that's a really that's a really good question and I would say that your your products are unique to you no matter what no matter if you teach them or you don't and so you could teach a class on your preferred painting technique and you know nobody's going toe nobody's going to make something that's exactly like what you're making and so I would I would try tio I would try toe squash that fear that might just be holding you back from trying teaching and what I do sometimes too is is teach something that's not exactly exactly exactly like what I what I would sell right so if I sell a certain type of zipper bag which I d'oh I don't teach that exact technique in my class I teach a different very similar but different technique does that makes sense yeah I think that shasta you mentioned it a little bit teo I think there's a lot of fear that there's already either already so many people out there teaching what I want to teach or that I'm going to give away my secrets right and I don't like to think of it that way I like to think that we are all in this together there are some room for everybody, and, you know, you have to trust that people aren't going. Teo, you know, take your stuff right, because people are good people, deep down, so just that's that's advice I would give, um, anything else, I'm let's. See, yeah, we had some comments from people. Amy makes wire wrapped jewelry you want about jewelers. I really find it fasting to learn new techniques and have been working to take take it. Take my skills were more advanced level, all right.

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Ashley Nickels

Ashley Nickels is a quilter, crafter, and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area. She grew up surrounded by quilters—making her first nine-patch at age eight—and was designing handbags by high school.

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Ratings and Reviews

Claude Aimée Villeneuve

This was a very good class, well prepared and packed with such useful information! I've been teaching various arts and craft classes for over 10 years now and did it sort of instinctively. Ashley gave me the tools I needed to refine my classes and prepare really good classes outlines and how to find venues to teach and pitch my classes. That was awesome and I plan to watch it again and again because there is so much in it! This was a first class presentation! Thank you Ashley! Claude Aimée Villeneuve, Visual artist and teacher

a Creativelive Student

I'm not even half way thru the online videos and want to recommend this class to anyone who just needs that extra boost to start their own classes! I like the fact that Ashley suggests that we think from a student perspective to help us to better plan. This class covers many things I have heard before BUT in greater detail. When I hear the 'WHY' of doing things, I'm more likely to follow thru. These videos explain many 'WHYs' (There are many informative sites/classes for this topic but not many people give you 'this is WHY' it should be done this way) Ashley gives the "WHY' and the 'HOW to'. If you want to teach and are mostly ready to teach, take this class and all the gaps will be filled in and you will be ready to go forth and teach your craft!

Barbara Schiffman

Great class -- watched live (most of it) and purchased for ongoing review. I've taught many things, including some crafts (decorating gourds, collage, making your own tarot-collages) but I gained new insights, ideas and confidence from Ashley's advice, the students questions and input, and the panel! I recommend this for anyone who wants to teach a class -- craft oriented, personal development, or anything else!

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Determine Your Expertise

Determine Your Expertise

Lesson Info

3. Determine Your Expertise

Lessons

Class Introduction

The Benefits of Teaching a Craft Class