Three Tips for Teaching Your Craft
Editor’s Note:
We recently spoke to Angie Chua of bobodesignstudio.com about how and why she chose to diversify her income where she talks about deciding to teach her craft of hand lettering and chalk lettering. Continuing with that theme, today we’re talking with Jennie Lennick of JennyLemons.com. Due to her success as a teacher in both her own business and as a Craftcation presenter we asked if she’d be kind enough to give us some tips she’s learned along the way.
We are so excited to be welcoming back Jennie Lennick to Craftcation 2019! She’ll be instructing a handful of craft workshops including Block Printing, Screen printing on Fabric and Sashiko Embroidery! And! Angie Chua will be making her Craftcation presenter debut this year as well teaching – you guessed it – Chalk Lettering for Beginners.
Make plans to join us at our makers and small business conference for four life-changing days of business workshops and craft classes at the beach in Ventura, CA! Advanced alumni registration is open now thru 9.30. Early Bird Registration opens to the public on 10.5.18 at 9am ET. We hope to see you there!
Now…. here’s Jennie!
xo,
katie mac
I’ve been teaching workshops for years as a way to make extra cash while building my clothing brand, Jenny Lemons. When I opened my first retail store earlier this year, I knew that I wanted to continue offering creative classes taught by artists in my space! I’ve helped lots of other creative people turn their craft into a teachable experience. Here are some tips I share with them when we develop their workshops.
1. Share what you know:
When planning a new workshop, don’t try to reinvent the wheel! Think about what you specifically are an expert in and offer that. If you are an artist/maker, you probably already have an arsenal of skills you can share with others in your city.
2. Keep it simple:
Most workshops are 2-3 hours and take place over the course of one day. Take your craft, and break it down into the most easy to digest steps, and offer that to your students. When I plan a new class, I create a lesson plan and make a list of every single thing that will be covered in class and estimate how long each task will take. Remember, if it takes you one hour to sew a shirt (for example), it will take your beginning students at least three.
Prep all your materials ahead of time- I find that cutting fabric or string is a huge time waster for students and they aren’t really learning anything by doing these tasks. Doing this will help you manage the time and make sure your students will finish their project in class.
3. Appreciate your students:
In my experience, most people in beginning craft workshops are not artists. They are adults that crave creative connection and want to make something with their hands. Try to remember what it is like to put yourself out there and try something new. Think about how frustrating it is when things don’t turn out perfectly. I believe that it takes courage to show up and be vulnerable in a group. Don’t second-guess yourself – to your students you are the expert and they are excited to learn from you!
About Jennie
Jennie Lennick is a San Francisco based artist, entrepreneur, and teacher. As a child in the Midwest, Jennie became enamored with traditional domestic craft, learning to sew and embroider. In 2010, She moved to the Bay Area to attend the San Francisco Art Institute, where she studied painting. Inspired by the natural beauty of Northern California, Jennie launched Jenny Lemons (jennylemons.com), a collection of modern block printed and hand-painted women’s clothing and textiles. Jennie’s work has been featured in publications like the San Francisco Chronicle, Brit + Co, Mohawk Maker Quarterly, and San Francisco Magazine. In early 2018, she opened her first brick and mortar store in the Mission District of San Francisco. Her shop is a community space where she facilitates DIY workshops, produces her products, and showcases the talents of other local artists.
Want to take a class with Jennie? Next time you’re in the Bay Area swing by her shop in San Francisco’s Mission District! Check out our offerings here: jennylemons.com/workshops
