I really didn't want to write this email
LET’S TALK ABOUT PROCRASTINATION.
If you follow @broad_room on Instagram (you really should because I am most active there), then you may have seen my stories from a couple days ago about procrastinating + how it impacts me. If you didn’t, well lucky you — I am about to do a deep dive.
I’ve had a few things on my to-do list for a while that I was putting off.
One was a conversation with our landlord (money conversations and talking on the phone are two pretty big triggers for my anxiety)
Another was putting together the curriculum and announcement for the largest course I’ve ever taught (more info below on that!)
I’ve also been putting off writing a newsletter for a couple weeks
And the last one was taking control of my mental health
And, completely predictably, I had to tackle #4 before I could do #1-3. About a week ago, I had a minor breakdown upon realizing that I had literally 0 idea about how I liked to spend my money after listening to this podcast. I completely spun out into not even being able to pinpoint what I liked to do or who I was because I had been in a “just get by” mindset for so long.
What do I like to do? What am I feeling? What do I want? Who am I?
I didn’t really have clear answers to any of these questions a week ago. It was like I’d been swimming with my head down just trying to survive for the last year, but suddenly I arrived at an island. I’d made it to a place where I didn’t have to keep swimming, I could actually get out of the water and refocus on something more than survival. But how do I do that?
This probably paints a more dramatic picture than I mean to put out there. The reality is, I have been working almost nonstop to ensure my survival and that of Broad Room up to this point and then suddenly realized we are both still alive, we are actually doing pretty well, so now it’s time to reassess and start building something sustainable.
For the first time in my life, I invested in some tools to help me feel better. I am now in the midst of an Inner Child workshop, where I am working on reprogramming my childhood trauma through guided meditation. I am also working through a guide on somatic exploration of spiritual bypassing. So, for the first time ever, I am investing both time (trying to make this a daily practice) and money in my mental health.
After just one week, I am already feeling so much better and so much more clear on what I want, feel, and who I am. I am honestly shook by the change I’m feeling internally.
The change was so immediate that I was able to tackle every other thing on my to-do list including paying 2 months of rent to our landlord & forgiving the rent of Broad Room’s studio artists for those months — which meant going out-of-pocket over $4k! I put together an entire month-long course curriculum today and I am announcing it in this newsletter! And this newsletter, which I started to write 3 or 4 times over the last two weeks, but just couldn’t muster the energy to get it done until right now.
So what changed?
I decided to do what I needed to do for me and trusted that the rest would come.
Sometimes, procrastination comes from fear. Paying $4k in rent at one time is scary, but I also knew Broad Room had the funds to cover it and trusted that I have the skills/ability to care for this organization.
Other times, procrastination comes from low self-worth. I was feeling stuck, drained, and a lack of connection with myself. I made the decision to prioritize checking in with myself to see what I needed — was I hungry? Thirsty? Did I need mental/emotional support? The resounding answer was YES, all of the above. So, even though it felt uncomfortable to put my needs first, I looked into therapy, I signed up for a workshop, I bought fizzy waters and a water bottle to stay hydrated, got snacks for my workspace, organized my desk, and followed an intuitive ping to take a month-long break from alcohol.
Confronting fears and caring for myself do not come naturally to me. I also recognize how much privilege I have to be able to afford the self-care investments I made this week (although in total, it was under $100!) and know that having the time + space to focus on myself is something that parents or other caretakers do not have the luxury of doing.
All of this is to say, I am grateful for the opportunities that presented themselves to help me work through this recent triggering situation. I am also grateful that I was in a position to figure out how to deal with them. If you are feeling stuck, feel free to reach out to me. I am happy to share the podcasts and other resources I’ve been using this week to help me work through this weird, triggering time.
Until next time,
Claire
And now for the big announcement
IMAGINE, CREATE, DESIGN, PLAN, & EXECUTE A VIRTUAL WORKSHOP!
At Broad Room, we believe that if you have an idea for a workshop then you can make it happen! Our Trade School Workshop Incubator will provide the framework, tools, and creative space necessary to help bring your very own virtual workshop to life.
The Trade School Workshop Incubator is a month long course starting September 1st!
Each week (on Tuesday), students enrolled in the course will get a recording of that week's course material to work through on their own time.
Every week, students will also have access to a form to ask questions that Claire (the instructor) will answer in a video and send out to all students weekly on Friday.
You will have access to all recordings indefinitely, so you can return to them whenever you need as you build your workshops!
Space is limited in order to ensure we can meet the needs of everyone enrolled in the Incubator. So invest in yourself + your creative business, book your spot now!
Also — newsletter subscribers get 10% off! Just use promo code HONESTMESS at check out :)
This course is for artists, culture workers, makers, musicians... any and all creatives who have a skill they want to share with their customers & community. You do not need to have a set idea for a workshop yet!
No teaching experience necessary -- although the course material will be helpful for anyone who has taught an in-person workshop & wants to pivot the class to a virtual experience.
All you need is a phone, tablet, or computer + a notebook!
This Incubator will provide a framework for conceiving, designing, planning, and executing your workshop.
Cosmic Ideation -- the process of following your intuition to figure out what workshop aligns best with your skills, personality, and desire
Curating a Virtual Experience -- determining how to offer your virtual class that feels authentic, exciting, and flows best for your creativity
Telling the story of your class -- Everything from the title and description to creating attention grabbing promo images that will attract your students
Pricing Productive Daydreaming -- the tools you need to align your price with your self-worth
Technological Tips + Tricks -- empowering you to find the right technology that aligns with your class, skills, and available technology
Week 1:
Tuesday September 1 (Full Moon in Pisces) -- Cosmic Ideation, conceiving and intuitively brainstorming the content of your workshop
Friday September 4 -- Q + A recording answering your questions from the week
Week 2:
Tuesday September 8 -- Curating a Virtual Experience, determining how to offer your online workshop that aligns with your desires + skills
Friday September 11 -- Q + A recording answering your questions from the week
Week 3:
Tuesday September 15 -- The Story of Your Workshop, learning how to communicate with your community authentically to attract sign-ups for your class
Friday September 18 -- Q + A recording answering your questions from the week
Week 4:
Tuesday September 22 -- Pricing Productive Daydreaming, honing in on your skills + aligning your pricing with your self-worth
Friday September 25 -- Q + A recording answering your questions from the week
All Trade School Workshop Incubator students will be a part of the Trade School x Broad Room program! This means Broad Room will help you execute your workshop plus the other benefits of participating in Trade School including:
Access to our Zoom account
Free one-on-one coaching with Nicky Smolter, our in-house creative curriculum strategist
Promotion on Broad Room's Instagram, website, and newsletter for your class
Our 20 page PDF Guide to Teaching an Online Workshop
Already signed-up for Trade School, but want to take this course? Send Claire an email at hello@broadroom.org for a coupon code to receive 15% off on the Trade School Workshop Incubator!
*Trade School promo cannot be combined with the newsletter subscriber promo.*
We can’t wait to dream up the most amazing, aligned, excited workshops with you!
Have a question about the course? Send me an email: hello@broadroom.org