From Creator to Educator: Communicate Your Craft with Passion and Impact | CardwellandInk Design | Skillshare
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From Creator to Educator: Communicate Your Craft with Passion and Impact

teacher avatar CardwellandInk Design, B.Sc, B.A, M.Teach

Watch this class and thousands more

Get unlimited access to every class
Taught by industry leaders & working professionals
Topics include illustration, design, photography, and more

Watch this class and thousands more

Get unlimited access to every class
Taught by industry leaders & working professionals
Topics include illustration, design, photography, and more

Lessons in This Class

    • 1.

      From Creator to Educator

      2:55

    • 2.

      Class Project

      0:57

    • 3.

      Establishing Credibility with your Audience

      3:12

    • 4.

      Identifying your Target Audience

      4:06

    • 5.

      Crafting a Project Based Lesson

      4:02

    • 6.

      Introducing the Tools and Resources

      3:04

    • 7.

      Setting a Clear Foundation

      2:41

    • 8.

      Creating a Clearly Sequenced Lesson

      4:38

    • 9.

      Concluding your Lesson

      2:02

    • 10.

      Effective Communication

      3:35

    • 11.

      The Benefits of being a Creative Educator

      2:06

    • 12.

      Final Thoughts

      1:34

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About This Class

Teaching a skill is one of the best ways to consolidate your understanding of your creative subject area. It allows you to cultivate a community of like-minded creatives and opens doors of opportunity in your niche.

I'm Priscilla. A trained teacher with a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts; and a Masters in Teaching.  I am also a Surface Pattern Designer, Owner of my creative business "Cardwell & Ink" and Top Teacher here on Skillshare. I'm passionate about equipping creatives with the tools to inspire and educate their own students, while also creating new avenues for income and freedom in their creative businesses.

In this class, you'll embark on a practical journey to become an impactful educator in your field. From crafting clear lesson plans to mastering communication techniques, this class offers a comprehensive understanding of the keys to excelling as a creative educator.

So if you've ever wanted to add education to your creative toolkit but haven't known where to begin, then this class is for you. All you will need for this class is a skill that you are passionate about being able to craft a project-based lesson around and the desire to learn how to communicate it with impact. If this sounds like you, join me in class.

But that's not all! I'm excited to announce a new opportunity for personalized coaching calls.

 After the class, If you would like assistance in crafting a class specific to your creative field, or streamlining your class template, you can now book a one-on-one coaching session with me via zoom through my Skillshare profile. 

Meet Your Teacher

Teacher Profile Image

CardwellandInk Design

B.Sc, B.A, M.Teach

Top Teacher

Hi, I'm Priscilla and I am a Surface pattern designer, Freelance illustrator, Biologist and Educator. I am the owner of Cardwell and ink, a boutique design studio in Australia. With a Master of Teaching and over two decades of experience in both Science and Creative education, I am passionate about simplifying design and equipping creatives to thrive in their creative practice and businesses.

You can see examples of my fabric and homewares at Spoonflower. I'm quite active on social media and you can find me on Instagram and facebook @cardwellandink where I post about my creative journey.

See full profile

Level: Beginner

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Transcripts

1. From Creator to Educator: From creator to educator, bridging the gap between artistry and effective teaching. Teaching a skill is one of the best ways to consolidate your understanding of your creative subject area. It allows you to cultivate a community of like minded creatives and open stores of opportunity in your niche. Hi, I'm Priscilla, a multidisciplinary educator, top teacher on Skillshare, with a Bachelor of Science, Arts, and a Master's of teaching. Okay. Are you a talented creative eager to share your expertise and make an impact as an educator in your field. Then this class is for you. A few years ago, I transitioned from the field of Science Education into my creative business, Cardwell and Inc, where I applied the techniques I acquired during my teaching career to become an educator of digital design. These skills propelled me to become a top teacher on Skillshare. In the creative sphere, I encountered exceptional artists who had hone their craft through intuitive and dedicated practice. However, I realized that without effective communication of their expertise, artists struggled to expand their reach in their communities as educators. The great news is that teaching is a learned skill, and I'm passionate about equipping creatives with the tools to inspire and educate their own students while creating new avenues for income and freedom in their creative businesses. This class is going to be very practical. From crafting clear lesson plans to mastering communication techniques, you'll gain a comprehensive understanding of the keys to excelling as a creative educator. I'll provide templates and resources to assist you in planning and communicating your creative skills effectively. We'll break down one of my most popular classes, painting digital watercolor leaves in procreate into key components, enabling you to apply the same processes to a skill that you want to teach. So if you are someone who wants to use creative education to empower students with practical skills, enhance your credibility as an educator, generate additional income, and build a community of like minded creatives, don't miss this opportunity. All you will need for this class is one skill in your creative workflow that you are passionate about teaching and a desired to effectively communicate it to your audience. If that sounds like you, join me in class. 2. Class Project: For your class project, you will be tasked with applying the teaching framework provided in your class resources to craft a lesson aimed at teaching a beginner in your subject area. You can access the resource in our class resource section on the web, not the mobile version of Skillshare. From there, you can download it to your file storage and utilize it in a digital app like God Notes or Notability, or printed out and fill it out manually. If you'd like feedback on your template, you can upload it as a class project in the tab just below this video. All right. Enough talking, let's dive in. Join me in the next lesson to discuss how to establish your credibility as an educator in your field of expertise. 3. Establishing Credibility with your Audience: In this lesson, we'll begin by discussing how to communicate your identity as an educator. This is the introduction to your audience. Establishing credibility as an artist is crucial because it builds trust with them. While having qualifications or a degree in the field is a solid starting point. It's not the only way to demonstrate expertise. In the creative realm, many artists are self taught and establish credibility through practice and experience. Don't be discouraged if you lack formal qualifications. Showcasing your work is an effective method to do this. A portfolio, demonstrating your mastery of a technique is in valuable. You can share this by cultivating a strong online presence through your website and social media channels. Collaboration with other artists or participations in exhibitions and shows is another effective way of displaying your body of work. Additionally, creating tutorials, sharing your workflow or sharing testimonials from students, clients, or collaborators, enhances credibility. This reassures your audience that you possess a credible understanding of your subject and can offer valuable insights that they can learn from. Now, I'll use myself as an example and share how I would establish my background to illustrate this concept. First, I hold formal qualifications, including a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science and a master's of teaching. I'm a top teacher on Skillshare, offering iPad based courses, focused on illustration, animation, and surface pattern design. I have an active Instagram and Pinterest page that showcases my workflow, fabric designs, and Skillshare courses, as well as a website, so that my body of work is easily accessible for my students, clients, or collaborators. I'm an established surface patent designer, specializing in vibrant colorful designs with nearly 200 prints available for sale on fabric and homewares at my spoon flower store. My prints have been featured multiple times on the Spoonflower website and Instagram, as well as their holiday magazine and in her umbrella magazine. Now it's your turn. Take a minute to complete the class resource by providing three examples of how you can showcase your expertise and establish credibility in your desired subject area. It does not need to be an essay, just a concise summary of who you are and what you bring to the table as you introduce yourself to your creative community. Okay. Once you are finished, join me in the next lesson where we will discuss how to identify your target audience. Okay. 4. Identifying your Target Audience: M. In this lesson, we will discuss the importance of identifying your target audience. This is not a formal part of your lesson plan, but this step is crucial for effectively communicating your skills in your lesson. It's the background you need to set yourself up for a success as an educator. So imagine planning a lesson for university students and then delivering it to a class of first graders. Despite your preparation and expertise, the lesson becomes irrelevant to them because it's not tailored for their background, their level of expertise, interest or skills. Because it's targeted at the wrong audience, they become disengaged. That's why clearly identifying and understanding your audience is essential. Let's begin by creating a profile of your target audience. What age group do you feel most comfortable teaching your creative skill to? Where is your audience located and what is their educational level and professional background. What skill level beginner, intermediate or advanced? Do you want your students to have? For this lesson, we will focus on targeting beginners because this allows us to establish foundational principles and create a baseline for future classes to be built upon. This may seem a little daunting at first, but don't be discouraged. Begin by researching tutorials in your skill area. If you are just embarking on your educator journey, this is a great starting point. Pay close attention to who the audiences of these tutorials are, the specific needs and the pain points that students may have. What are students wanting more explanation or elaboration on? What do students find frustrating about the process. Addressing these challenges is critical because as an educator, you want to provide value to your students and help answer questions about the process that you're instructing them on. Answers to these areas can then be incorporated into the stages of your lesson and we'll add value to that lesson. Now, let me provide a practical example using my own audience. My audience would be typically aged 25 and above. They come from all genders and are transitioning from traditional art into digital art. They are located worldwide. My lessons focus on digital art on the iPad, targeting illustration and surface pattern design enthusiasts and focusing on apps that facilitate and simplify these processes. My students prefer self paced online learning, and they are often professionals learning the skills outside of their nine to five jobs. They gather on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Skillshare. They appreciate structured lessons with clear communication and visual aids. Their pain points include mastering the interfaces and tools of digital design apps like procreate and being able to recreate traditional textures and workflows digitally and creating an authentic representation. My teaching style emphasizes clear structured lessons in an online environment. Now it's your turn. Take a moment to complete the class resource and create a profile of your target audience. Considering the specifics of the audience you want to reach. Then join me in the next lesson to learn how to transform your skill into a class project that you can craft a lesson around. 5. Crafting a Project Based Lesson: In this lesson, we will discuss crafting and resourcing a project based lesson? First, you need to select a topic and a skill that you are passionate about teaching? You may have an interest in several areas, to narrow and streamline your topic to a specific skill. Try and consider the following points. Is this a skill that you have an interest in and are confident in teaching enthusiastically? Is there a skill or area that others frequently ask for your assistance on? Have you created any tutorials on a specific technique that has resonated with your audience on social media? Is this skill a foundational technique that you can build upon later? Is this skill easy for beginners, but allows room for creativity? Can students apply this skill practically to their creative workflow? Are the tools for this skill easily accessible? And is your skill an entry level skill that beginners can grasp in ten to 15 minutes. Now, you might ask why ten to 15 minutes. The answer is that as an expert in the area, something that might take you 15 minutes will probably take a beginner half an hour to absorb and you want students to feel like the goals you are setting are able to be reached in this time frame. A clear project ensures that there is a clear outcome that they come away with at the end of the lesson. I'll use my class as an example. As an artist, passionate about watercolor painting. I was aware that it had a wide scope of possible subject areas like landscapes or portraits. However, these were too broad for beginners and did not meet the criteria that I'd given myself to streamline my skill. I honed in on a specific skill that beginners could digest and feel confident executing. In my case, painting digital watercolor leaves in procreate met that criteria. I was confident and enthusiastic about using the interface as I use it daily to simplify my own design workflow. I've had friends, followers, and clients ask me about my technique or commission projects using my digital watercolor style. Painting watercolor leaves was easy for beginners, yet engaging and allowed for creativity in color variations and arrangements. Students could apply it to their creative workflow as clip art and graphic assets for various projects like surface Patent design or social media graphics. Meeting these criteria help me to narrow down the specific project and skills needed. Now it's your turn. I want you to take some time to think about the specific skill you are wanting to teach. Use the points given in the template to narrow down your project, and then meet me in the next lesson to look at how to communicate the tools necessary and plan the resources needed for your project based lesson. 6. Introducing the Tools and Resources: In this lesson, we'll outline how to identify the tools and resources needed to teach your project effectively. This is an important skill to identify and communicate to your students at the beginning of your lesson in your introduction. Next, you need to outline what the class is about. Use your project to help you establish this. What are students going to learn in this lesson. Drawing from the work we did in our previous lesson, explain what they're going to be able to create by the end of the lesson and how this is going to provide value to them in terms of their workflow or real world applications. You'll notice that I've not specifically gone into the skills they will learn to achieve this project yet. As when we sequence the lesson, you'll learn how to break that into clear steps. Before we get there though, you need to consider what tools students need to carry out this skill. If you're a guitar teacher, for example, you may need a guitar in a peek. If you're a chef, it may be flour, eggs, milk, and sugar. For me in a digital space, my students need to have an iPad, a stylus, and the apcreate that I use to create the watercolor leaves. It's important to state the materials clearly and early in your introduction. Next, I want you to think about how you can provide additional resources to help a beginner come along on the creative journey, is there a resource that you could provide that helps simplify the skill they are learning or allow students to have a clear guide through the process. If it's a musical instrument, perhaps you can supply a piece of music that has a basic core progression that you would be teaching them. If you're a, a recipe guide with clear measurements that they can follow. In essence, allowing them to use the same tools that you're using to help them along the way. In my class, I created a watercolor canvas, brushes, and color palette so that at each stage, students were using the same tools that I was using. If students were using a different brush or couldn't get a watercolor texture that resembled what they saw me do, it could immediately put them off learning the skill because it now appeared unachievable. Okay. Using the same tools that I'm using ensure consistency and boost student confidence. Take a moment and in the resource section of the template, write down all the tools necessary for a student to complete your project, and then consider and write down any accessory materials or guides that you may be able to provide a beginner to assist them in learning this skill. Then join me in the next lesson to plan your class introduction. 7. Setting a Clear Foundation: So far in this class, we have established who you are and your credibility, identified your target audience, outlined what students will learn and how it provides value to them, given students an overview of the tools needed and the resources that you can provide to assist them in completing the skill. So in this lesson, we're going to open the class with a clear foundation for the skill you are about to teach. This entails considering the prior knowledge students need to carry out the lesson effectively. This will shape that introduction for your lesson and establish its groundwork. Here are some points to guide you in structuring this introduction. First, provide a brief overview of the tools, the instrument, the program or the interface you'll be using. Explain how students can find and access the resources for the class. Describe the setup process. How do students get started. Introduce the basic functions and explain how to access them and customize them to suit the students preferences or workflow. Outline any basic steps or exercises students can undertake to become more familiar with these tools. So for instance, in my digital watercolor leaves class. Students need to. Firstly, grasp the apps basic interface, the gallery, the tools, the brushes, the layers, and color palettes. Then I guide them on accessing and importing their class resources and setting up their canvas and brushes so that they will mimic traditional watercolor techniques effectively. Next, we delve into practicing basic drills to help students get comfortable with creating those brush strokes digitally. Once this groundwork is set, we can start on our leaves. Now it's your turn. Take a moment to apply these steps to your creative skill. Consider what foundational concepts students need to grasp as they begin your class. Take some time to write down your responses that are applicable to your creative skill, and then join me in the next lesson to discuss sequencing the rest of your lesson. 8. Creating a Clearly Sequenced Lesson: In this lesson, we will set up a sequence of steps to guide your teaching process. Now that you've established the foundation, it's time to plan the steps needed to take beginners from the basics to the final project. At each stage, consider a mini goal that can be achieved, aim to keep each step or a mini section under 10 minutes from maximum effectiveness. If you anticipate it will take longer, consider breaking it into smaller segments or being more concise. Focus solely on the steps that are essential for beginners and avoid going off on tangents. Keep your explanations clear concise and well sequenced. Again, using my class as an example. Once I've taught how to create brush strokes in a digital medium, the next stage is creating leaf shapes using those brush strokes. We work through a series of drills to teach different leaf shapes. On students feel confident we'll progress to putting the leaves together to form twigs and branches. Building upon the skills that they had previously learned. At each stage in my lesson, the many goals that students will achieve are confidently navigating the procreate interface. Then creating controlled brush strokes through drills. Next, crafting leaf shapes with brush strokes. Then adding color variations to mimic traditional watercolor, using selections and the adjustment menu. Once that's done, creating wreaths confidently, using the symmetry tools in procreate to create various orientations, and finally, turning those motifs into clip art with a transparent background. Whenever you introduce a new process or tool, consider the why, the where, and the how. By this, I mean, clearly explain why you chose that process or tool and what it accomplishes. Then how to execute it. Okay. Remember that your students can't read your mind. Processes that may be intuitive to you may need explicit explanation for beginners. For instance, when teaching students the process of making color changes in a digital canvas, first, the why, I want them to create color bleeds and variations that mimic traditional watercolor. This can be done using the selection tool and adjustment menu in procreate. Then the where, I show students where to locate each of these tools in the interface. Finally, the how, I demonstrate how to make selections, gradients, and color adjustments in the leaf. Always aim to visually model the process. Now it's your turn. I want you to outline the steps you need to get from the foundation to your final project. Think about a mini goal or mastery that students can achieve at each stage of your lesson. Reflect on the stages and think about where you may need to address the why, the where, and the how so that students don't feel confused or you don't lose them along the way. Model first and then provide an opportunity for your students to practice mastering that skill before progressing to the next stage. This may be through repetitive exercises or drills to build up confidence in that area. I would also encourage you to informally teach a beginner like a friend or a family member. They will be a great resource to show you areas that require more explanation in your lesson. This feedback is invaluable as a teacher. It allows you to learn to anticipate the challenges that beginners may encounter in the learning process and incorporate support and guidance for that in your lesson. All right. Enough talking now over to you. Take some time, work through the steps in your template. And once you're done, join me in the next lesson to talk about how to wrap up your lesson. 9. Concluding your Lesson: In this lesson, we'll discuss how to wrap up your creative lesson effectively. The first thing you want to do is summarize the key concepts and skills covered in your class to reinforce your student's understanding. Whenever possible, connect these skills to real world applications and demonstrate how they can benefit their workflow. Lastly, inspire creativity by offering opportunities for students to explore their skills further and apply them in those practical contexts. So in my class, I encourage students to experiment with various color palettes and arrangements for their reads and motifs. They can then use these creations as products for fabric design or even as frames for inspirational quotes. Encourage students to share their work with the creative community. This promotes feedback and collaboration amongst students, fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Feedback is invaluable for both students and educators. Invite feedback on your lesson. Welcome suggestions for your improvement and areas of interest for future exploration. As an educator, view that feedback as an opportunity for growth and learning. Recognizing that teaching is an ongoing evolution by listening to your students and incorporating their input into your teaching practice. You will continue to improve and grow as an educator. Okay. Take some time to apply these points to your creative skills and complete the lesson conclusion part of your class resource. Then join me in the next lesson to discuss how to communicate effectively to an audience as an educator. 10. Effective Communication: In this lesson, we'll explore how to become an effective communicator when addressing an audience. This is essential for engaging with your audience, projecting confidence, and conveying assurance in your expertise. Imagine if I walked into a class with my head hunched down, shoulders dropped, not making eye contact, mumbling, rushing my words while reading from a sheet of paper, how would students respond? It would likely be a very frustrating encounter. Speaking clearly ensures your message is conveyed loud and clear without confusion or misunderstanding. Always use clear and straightforward language, keeping it simple, don't over complicate or over intellectualize. Next, enthusiasm is contagious. B passionate about what you are teaching. Our fun exercise to help you do this is to record a voice memo of yourself reading a paragraph. Then record it again. This time, smile the whole time. Then play back both voice memos. You can actually hear the difference in your voice and your students can too and they respond in kind. In person or on camera, your tone and your face reflect your enthusiasm as you deliver your lesson. The next area, that is important is the pace of your lessons. Pay attention to the pace of your speech. Listen to your favorite instructors and educators to understand their pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm. Speaking clearly enhances comprehension and engagement. Imagine sitting in a room as someone who talks a minute, barely pausing for breath. It can feel really overwhelming. On the other hand, imagine listening to someone who speaks so slowly that you get bored and start to nod off. Either extreme is not ideal when it comes to engaging your audience. Aim for a pace that feels natural and comfortable, but also allows your students to understand each word clearly. By controlling that pace, it helps students to absorb that information effectively. Maintain eye contact when speaking, whether in person or on the screen. It builds trust and rapport and communicates your sincerity and authenticity. It also encourages participation and fosters connection. If you find this challenging when teaching online, a teleprompter can help you to maintain that connection. Whether it's giving a presentation, leading a workshop or teaching a class. Remember the power of confidence, clear communication, and controlling the pace of your speech. They are the secret ingredients that turn an ordinary talk into an unforgettable experience, leaving a lasting impression on your audience. That's all for this lesson. Join me in the next lesson as we explore the benefits of incorporating education into your business strategy as a creative. 11. The Benefits of being a Creative Educator: To conclude this class, let's discuss the benefits of incorporating education into your creative business. As artists, our craft is our main source of income, but teaching about our workflow can provide an additional revenue stream. Fortunately, there are numerous teaching platforms available for creative today, such as Skillshare, YouTube, and social media. It's essential to research where people who share your creative passions gather to learn about your craft, and this will guide you to the right platform for you to begin to launch your classes. Be selective about where you invest your energy and focus on areas that reward you monetarily. Conduct an audit of your business to compare the time and energy invested with the income generated and the value placed on your work. While it's natural for creatives to prioritize creativity, a thrive in creative business requires critical analysis of income streams. So consider investing your time and energy in areas that are going to value your expertise. Now, teaching doesn't happen overnight and requires an investment to create those classes and build community over time. The joy of education, though, is seeing another artist thrive and unlock skills that they may have never achieved without you stepping out and sharing your process. I want to leave you with the understanding that your uniqueness and individuality is your superpower. It doesn't matter how many times the topic has been taught or who else is teaching in that subject area. Your personality and your teaching style will resonate with someone out there waiting for your insight to help unlock their creativity. 12. Final Thoughts: Thank you for joining me in this class. I hope it has equipped you with practical skills to enhance your business through creative education, whether online or in person. Don't forget to upload your lesson template to the class project section below. If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment in the discussion section. Additionally, if you've been inspired and would like a personalized guided tour through planning and crafting your creative class in your subject area, I now offer one on one online coaching sessions here on skill share through my profile. We can start with your class template as a baseline and then take a deep dive into streamlining your ideas and structuring them to effectively communicate your skills. So let's turn those creative ideas into impactful lessons together. If you have a moment, please consider leaving a review of the class. Your feedback means a lot and helps me to refine my classes in a way that provides value to my student community. I'm so excited to see how you are going to apply the concepts from this class to develop your creative teaching skills. Have a fantastic day and happy creative.