For years workshop participants have asked me to teach them to do what I do. In 1999 I jumped at the challenge, but did not really know what would happen. It was a grand experiment.
Today, after training six groups, about 60 people, I have some answers.
- I can very effectively offer a safe container for each trainee’s individual leadership and teaching style to emerge. …same as I offer for participants paintings to emerge in a workshop.
- Trainees can go deeper into their own painting process than they previously thought possible.
- No matter how gifted, charismatic, knowledgeable the trainee, if they are fearful of putting them self out there, resistant to charge money, or take responsibility for what they know, I cannot teach courage and motivation to lead their own workshop. Sometimes it is the support and competition of the group (and personal therapy) that melts their fear of teaching for pay.
- Probably the most impressive, profound, constant and unexpected result is the “friends for life” tribal community bond, that forms within each group. Rooted in love and mutual support, this bond sprouts a growth spiral, flowering into our best self.
I can only guess that painting, learning, doing sacred rituals, honest sharing of deep self all together over an extended amount of time, is a chemical recipe for growth, a yeast for personal empowerment.
Aviva
