A couple of weeks ago, on a sunny Saturday, something very special took place… A workshop that’s been in the making for three years, at least.

What took me so long? Well, to be honest, the usual culprits of perfectionism, self-doubt, and general day-to-day busy-ness… the latter allowing me to escape, and avoid facing, my inner dialogue.

What got me there? Helpful guidance from my mentor, powerful questions from a business coach, and invaluable support and encouragement from friends & family. But you know what else helped make this happen? Many parents from our kids’ classes asking time and again:

“Franzi, when are you running something for us?”

And now, it’s happened and I got to share a very special afternoon with some beautiful, playful and curious women. By now, you may be thinking ‘yeah great but come on Franzi, get to the point, what’s the thing that surprised you??’ 😁

Well, it wasn’t one thing, in fact it was three…

1) The wellbeing benefit for everyone attending was HUGE. People left feeling calm, relaxed, peaceful. Someone even shared that “when it comes to self-care, I’d prefer one of these workshops to a massage or a facial…” – I mean, I know open-ended art and play is good for us, but to see people benefiting from it right then and there, walking in with tense shoulders and leaving with a spring in their step 4 hours later… pretty special.

2) It takes time to unwind. Many women shared the observation that it takes about an hour to get into a state of calm and relaxation. Leaving behind the day-to-day, the mental to-do lists, the rushing, the being “on” for everyone else, it doesn’t happen instantly. While little calming activities here and there can be nice and sure help in putting out some daily stress-fires, making the time to fully lean into an experience like this one, and allowing yourself to go deeper, creates space for something so much more wholesome.

3) Four hours flew by (and people wanted more). A few participants admitted afterwards that, when they arrived, they weren’t sure how the workshop could possibly fill four hours. “What are we going to do for that long?” But when I was checking the time in between to keep us on track, and mentioned where we were at, people were genuinely surprised. By the end, the most common reaction was “Already… how?!” followed by “I could have stayed longer.” Turns out, when we’re fully absorbed in what we’re doing, we’re entering a flow state and time… well, it kind of becomes less important. A welcome change from a time-driven day-to-day.

The whole afternoon honestly turned out so much more special than I imagined it ever could. The women attending brought a beautiful playful, curious and open-minded energy into the space that added its own little bit of magic to the afternoon.

And guess what?

I’m doing it all again in June, yay! Pop over here for all the details and registration.

And if you don’t want to wait until June…. I’ve got a new 4-week series coming in May. 🙃

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I’m Franzi, an educator and creative play & process art specialist designing open-ended art experiences that nurture creativity, confidence, and wellbeing. For children discovering their creative voice, and adults reconnecting with theirs.

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