I thought it might be interesting to take a peek inside my studio once in a while. A lot of my daily work is dedicated to prepping workshops …let me show you how this process works in the n*Studio :)
In the beginning stands an idea for a workshop which I start to write down, gathering some ideas for it. Sometimes the title idea is coming right away, sometimes a bit later.
Then comes the gathering of supplies I want to use, creating the prototype and jotting down every single step, calculating how much time it might really take in a bigger group with explanation time and thinking of what might work or not work….it is the favorite part of mine of prepping the workshops :)
Once I got it all figured out I take photos of the project and start writing up the description and create a sneak collage for it.
And then comes writing lists of supplies etc and to do lists and more lists….in English and in German….
After this comes ordering. Usually for several workshops at once. Which takes a bit time as it involves often several companies and you also have to calculate quite a bit. Most companies want you to order in bulk, which means for example you have to order 25 pieces of one paper, but you can order alphabets in packages of 6. So there is a bit of thinking involved ;)
Next comes waiting for the packages to arrive and most times also clearing the packages at customs involving paperwork, waiting time and unpacking and explaining items, paying the customs bill.
The best part of that…and probably the only good part is, that customs in Hamburg is located in a beautiful area in the harbor city :)
As soon as the package is hauled up the six flights it get’s unpacked, checked and stored. I usually get rid of the packaging of the items too and recycle paper and plastic, as it makes the kits for further shipping too heavy.
Now when all the boxes arrived, the most time-consuming part starts…kitting. It usually takes several hours, sometimes even a couple days…and takes up a lot of space. It is basically like working on the assembly line. Every item is a station and you start filling the bag. I would say it is my least favorite part of preparing the workshops …lol. I know, I am not supposed to say this…but hey…no lying here – this is not called “a glorious peek inside the n*Studio* ;)
Counting buttons is fine…but counting stuff like paper butterflies…SNORE ;)
My favorite part is when everything is packed and ready to go :)
Ready to be packed alongside tools and paint media into a box to ship out to the place I will be teaching at :)
And after the prepping the workshop- the real fun begins for me. The teaching :)
I hope you enjoyed this little peek. I am thinking of doing some more of this in the future. Anything you might be interested in peeking?
Have a gorgeous day
Huge Hugs
nat
Comments (17)
Milagros
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Nath Hello! liked me to this post about as you prepare workshops, takes a lot of work to prepare each workshop, now I have to prepare some proposals for workshops and I have done very well the explanation of your post.
hugs
Mila
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AnnaB
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I loved this post Nat! It’s so interesting to get a glimpse of all the hard work behind each workshop!
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sandra
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Love the look @your desk, is it always that neat?
you are right, we never think about the person that puts it all together
we only think about the teacher in front of us, and when do we get to play with the supplies
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nathalie-kalbach
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Sandra, I wish my desk was always that neat ;) Nat
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lynnmcmvt
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Thanks for the sneak peek, and I’d love to see more! It’s good to remind people what goes on ‘behind the scenes’ to prep for classes and presentations as it’s easy to get the idea that being a teaching artist is all play and no counting butterflies. ;)
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Jessica
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I don’t think most students realize how much work goes into these classes. Amazing! Love this peek!
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mjmarmo
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Fun to see what goes on!
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Riikka
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This was so great, thank you for sharing! (My favourite part is the kitting, but hey, I’m in totally different clas than you are :D)
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mlepitts
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Looks like an interesting process Nat, thanks for sharing it with us!
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emily
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Fun to see what you do to create a workshop, looks like an interesting process! thanks :)
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lisa
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Love this peek in to your life Nat. Thanks for sharing x
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Lisa Flaherty
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A lot of behind the scenes work! I enjoyed the peek, and look forward to more. I think Sue C. is right, some folks just don’t think about all the background prep that goes into class, from inception of the idea for the workshop all the way through building the supply kits.
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Isabel LopezDel RinconTroussel
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Very interesting… thanks for allowing us to take a peek inside your studio and see how you work!
I don’t know which workshop you were preppin’ for, but I WANT IN!!!! Looks fun!
Lots of hugs,
Isabel
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Anne
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Hallo Nathalie,
danke! Hat Spaß gemacht und ich muss sagen, Hut ab!
Bin sehr gespannt auf den Workshop…
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Sandi McLean
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Having prepped just for small LSS classes in the past, I know how folks have NO idea of the work and love that goes into it. No one WANTS to count paper butterflies LOL I love the peek into your studio.
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Sue Clarke
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I really like the graphic you used for the “Peek Inside The N*Studio”…
interesting and good for folks to see that the price of a workshop (which is usually reasonable) needs to include paying the teacher for all her prep time as well.
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Jenny Palmer
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Hi Nat
That was really interesting thanks for the insight
Jenny
waves from Tassie
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