As a creative and a problem solver, I thrive and actually relax when I have a new idea and can take the time to build upon it. However, to some a paint class or any creative event may be considered a passive activity.
Specifically some team members – may consider the idea of a team paint and sip class dull or ‘why are we doing this?’ After teaching 100 virtual paint classes to all personality types and skill sets, I have incredible learnings to share that will give you a realistic approach to creative art “sip and paint” class in 2022.
Don’t listen to me, I have included feedback from my customers and participants on what works and what doesn’t work.
The Breakdown
The participants for these classes will always represent an array of characters, ages, and skill levels. We all should know that coming into the evaluation on WHY sip and paint nights are still a valuable activity. When I think about the elements of creative classes, these concepts come to mind:
- A stagnant idea of a paint and sip class
- Buy in on they are going to paint
- Will this be a waste of time
- Am I going to be embarrassed?
- Who scheduled this anyway ?
Participants may have fear of art classes because they don’t create that often. It is only 25%~ of participants in these classes that may be comfortable creating something. That means – for this example, 75% of people joining classes have fear of disenjoyment for one of the reasons above. This is why people question, are paint and sip classes are still fun. Why should we consider this idea?
Overcoming fear and being yourself is a crucial perspective we highlight at the beginning of our classes. It is essential to break the stigma of “I don’t want to do this” or “I can’t do this.” Reflect on that for a minute, and imagine this mindset in their personal and professional lives. That is where we see leaders and courageous participants show up and thrive. They set an example for others, “yes, we can do this”. This simple example is one of many reasons for the benefits of these classes.
It isn’t necessarily about the artwork, it is about showing up, facing fear, and doing your best. Now, this could be a work event – imagine how that reflects on your perseverance and attitude. Some of you may be thinking, great – my boss is going to force me to do this event and watch how I handle it. Don’t worry, we don’t market paint classes to create fear. It is essential for employers to know the hidden benefits of forcing people outside of their comfort zone and how they handle challenging situations.
Many of the things I mentioned is an opportunities for people to grow personally and professionally. All through some paint and brushes, but you need the right instructor to hold the right atmosphere for growth and reflection to happen.
Practicing Creativity - Why?
Most people will agree or at least know of – “hey I have heard the benefits to creativity”, but many don’t know the WHY behind it. Brightwater highlights 5 Big Benefits, that we couldn’t agree more with.
- Creativity boosts your mood
- Creativity boosts your self-esteem
- Creativity improves cognitive function
- Creativity improves your social life
- Creativity alleviates stress and anxiety.
Let’s talk about cognitive function; which is defined in short as brain functions like memory, speech, and the ability to learn new information. Creativity leads to cognitive development in many areas. To break it down, specific areas that are tested, practiced and challenged through creative art classes are critical thinking, trial and error, and beyond. Willey does a great job providing examples and sharing more context if you are looking to learn more.
A creative paint class has many underlying benefits vs. just painting something. This is the value and mission I want everyone to see and know. You are likely thinking to yourself – anyone that has been to a paint class, they may like it at the end. Why do you think that is the case? Maybe they have a boost of confidence, maybe they solved a problem on how to paint the mountain top. They likely overcame some challenge in which they learned from and motives them to try it again. Are you starting to see the connection? There is something there.
The Benefits
Our Top 5 Benefits to Paint Classes for Group Events
You are starting to see us pull back the onion layers, uncovering and surfacing many benefits. How can you market this and gain buy-in from your group? Here are a few things for your to consider:
- Creative Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Being brave with no risk
- Reflection and Growth
Which of these relates to you? Could you see yourself a little more brave or perhaps bracing for a new activity to see what happens? That is the experience we provide. It is mysterious, a little unknown dark deep seawater. But as we float together, the sky brightens, and you can enjoy the beauty around us.
Team members also want to get to know each other. With a good class leader and instructor, a specific environment can be created to allow be people be themselves, not feel pressured to do well and take part in casual interaction. With these style classes being virtual, no matter personality type, we create an inclusive environment where participant’s can experiment and play with art in a new way.
Yang of Yin and Yang
As a teacher of these classes, I recognized the impact of the participants. I feel obligated to share my experience with others because the benefits and impact are incredible. I am motivated to share my story and learn more, so I thought to do a bit more reach on where else this growth may exist.
In this history of life both personally and professionally, we can all relate to the busyness and running around trying to keep our lives together. Whether that comes from a busy full time job, a household with children, perhaps you are supporting a parent. One thing we have all heard is ‘slow down, this will help you find a balance. Take time for yourself to unwind and rebalance the chaos. We all love this slowdown, whether it is going shopping, watching Netflix for hours, or reading a book. You name it. Do you know this refers to Daoism’s “yin and yang”? There is so much history on these concepts, but they powerfully still make sense in our modern day and time.
The most basic explanation of “Yin and Yang” – outside of the 90’s patch you may have had on your backpack is this – ” Yin and yang is an ancient Chinese philosophy that reminds us that balance is the key to prosperity. By balancing out the opposing but complementary forces of yin and yang in our modern lives, we can achieve more vibrant and sustainable health.” An excellent description from Mind Body Green.
Without getting too spiritual, the principles have a lot of meaning.
How does this relate to painting classes? Participants encompass ‘yang’ in our classes. Our paint classes are designed to slow people down mindfully and be in the moment and focus on the current tasks. That slows them down and turn off the busyness. We incorporate mindfulness techniques in our classes to practice reflection, think differently and enjoy the process – without fighting it. That is why it works.
Bringing this practice back to work
Imagine your group has participated in a virtual paint and sip class – Wow! They had a great time. What benefits or characteristics will you see come through at work?
- Being more bold
- Risk tasking
- Problem solving
- More open to creative thinking or expanded creative thinking
- Gained trust and respect for team members
- Increased morale
The list goes on and on. There are personal and professional takeaways, based on how these classes are designed and paced. Not all paint and sip studios are created equal. To have the best experience, you want to find an instructor that is focused on the team’s experience and creates a supportive environment that will allow them to be playful, laugh and learn.
Here is a great testimonial from one our team’s that can’t wait to do it again.
How to Implement this effectively
Give it a try and watch what happens
The more of these classes I lead, the more entertaining it gets, because they consecutively show grown talented grown men they can paint a tree. Selecting an activity that is fun, relaxing, humorous and has benefits for their personal growth is a pretty incredible thing. Tell your friends – yes, “paint and sips” are still a thing and here is why. If they have questions, send them to me.
Finding the right partner
As I mentioned, for the team to have the best experience you need to work with a vendor that can read the room and flow through the class, based on the individual’s needs. Participants need to soften into the experience. The instructor should provide an overview, introduce the tools and break the ice immediately. If you are interested in partnering with us for a class, please let us know. It would be a pleasure.
Written by: Meagan Van Woert
Female Business Owner
Outdoor Enthusiast
Entrepreneur
Sources for article:
The 5 Big Benefits of Creative Expression
Source: https://brightwatergroup.com/news-articles/5-big-benefits-of-creative-expression/
Yin & Yang, Explained: How To Apply This Ancient Principle To Modern Day Life.
Source: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/yin-and-yang-meaning