One of my deep beliefs is that we have everything we need. It is inside us, around us, in our closets and in our hearts.
So this past year, lovely souls from across the country reached out to me to teach. "Was I ever in their area?" Not yet. Not this year.
After looking at beautiful places to teach in California last minute, I decided to open up my cottage studio for a long fall weekend in October. I create in one of the most magical spaces around; in my little cottage studio in the middle of 237 acres on a historic farm. And Bucks County, Pennsylvania is magical all on its own.
The weekend was just right. A group of beautiful women came. Can't you feel all the love in this little collage?
We started out Thursday with dinner on the farm under twinkle lights. We got to know each other and talked about what bought each woman to my little stone cottage. Then we came back the next day. And the next day. And the next. We even went on a treasure hunt.
Lunch each day was soup (this bowl was fresh minestrone from a local Italian restaurant) and salad from my garden. We ate and played just like I do in this space. There was coffee....lots of coffee. And so many ideas. Mostly there was trust. 
TRUST in themselves, in each other and in me to take them places they had not gone before creatively.
Teaching for me is letting people into my thought process. So many people do mixed media and altered books. What makes each teacher special is how she/he thinks and processes the materials in their own unique way. A class for me is opening a door into my head and heart and how I see my world. I really love sharing my process.
And it is a complete joy to share and gently teach others to trust their own process. Sometimes they will not like the way a page or a cover is coming along at first. But the simplest marks can change it to a moment of "I am completely in love and I cannot believe I created this".
So they leave full of "yes, I can" and yes, I will". Art is such a good teacher.
And my little cottage was the perfect place for us.
We had everything we needed.
That is one lesson I love learning over and over again.
Some of these photos are from Brenda and Elena who made sure our weekend was captured forever. Hugging you both.
xo, Colleen
ps...I am not sure when I will offer this workshop again, but there is a one day workshop at my studio coming up in December. I try to schedule them a few months ahead. It makes my heart expand when I tell you they fill up quickly.
I am also dreaming of a workshop next October beside the sea at the Jersey shore.
