...I was desperately going through all my grounding techniques. The guided meditation playlist was on full volume. My anxiety and stress hit hard.
Do you want to know the real reasons?
Well, if you have ever put anything out there, anything that you have literally created yourself, from start to the end, then you probably know the dark feeling and I bet you are raising your hand for a high-five.
Nothing in this life of mine has ever stressed me out as much as launching the Day by Day course. No driving licence tests, no collage exams, not having to break up with a boy, not the big move to another country, not even going into labour with Zosia (boy, was I peaceful on that day).
And then the Day by Day starts. A full classroom, 500 people happy and ready to go and... we go. And it's going. Day 1 - everyone is jumping in. Day 2 - people are enthusiastic, I'm enthusiastic, life is beautiful. Day 3 - I'm starting to think that this is going a bit too well. Irrationally well. What if for some reason people will find a fault with this course, something I haven't thought about? Surely, shitake is going to hit the fan pretty soon.
And I would never have such anxiety about Wanderlust or any other class that we are doing. The reason is that Day by Day is so deeply personal. Day by Day is a result of my 8 years long journey through daily art journaling. It’s like my very intimate diary in which I’m sharing a good deal of what I have learnt over that time period. And all of it can be used by you to establish your daily art routine that’s not only beneficial for your style but also for your heart and soul. No pressure then, right?
Now the first edition of this course has finished and guess what, nothing hit the fan. My grounding techniques worked, I turned down the volume on my Zen playlist and learnt a lot about myself along the way.
Things in the classroom and in our closed Facebook group got more intense. People, inspired by the subject that we were tackling on the course, shared their own personal stories. The amount of love, enthusiasm, motivation and support within this group was mind-blowing.
15 days of that was like a warm, glittery bath with the best bath-bombs and the best posh candles. Or like a never-ending waffle with Nutella and whipped cream. It was like a massive treat that does you good and is ultimately comforting.
Around day 5 I thought I should tell those wonderful people about the anxiety I went through and what exactly helps me in moments of stress. And, most importantly, how crucial it is to clear your mind and body of that tension, when you want to art journal mindfully and intuitively.
So I thought I'm going to give it a shot. I focused and recorded an extra video in which I also shared my one big secret from past (aaaa yeah, there was one more reason why I was so anxious). I messaged Eliza, who was doing all the transcripts for this course asking: "Do you think it's possible for you to make one more transcript for, let say maybe... tomorrow?". She did it almost straight away.
The first edition of the Day by Day course was one of the most beautiful things that ever happened to me. This is thanks to the open-minded, supportive and enthusiastic students who enrolled. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity that they gave me to inspire them.
One of the most important things to me was that my students allowed themselves to follow the style of work that I was sharing. The intuitive, honest, not precise, messy, sometimes silly and not polished-off. They trusted that it doesn't always have to be a masterpiece and I think this is one of the reasons why the magic happened.
Emails, comments, messages, chats, feedback forms - all of it came to me from people who completed the course and loved it. I've created 16 pages in my Google Docs file - all with the words that put the biggest smile on my face. This one, for instance, made me so happy:
I joined the Day by Day because I wanted to dive back into art journaling and this was perfect! Breaking EVERYTHING down into simple steps was key! Each and every lesson had the perfect format for me - podcast, followed by worksheet, followed by video. Great concept and package was presented each day. The whole course had an authentic, organic artsy feel the whole way through. I have now completed the Day by Day and I see the difference: I'm making time to play in my art journal more - even throughout the day - which never happened before. Reminded me of the importance of self-care! Kasia, I know you are crazy busy with your family - but PLEASE don't ever stop teaching online - you are a natural and your approach is unique! Thanks so much for doing what you do!
But there was more. Joanna Urbani said:
This course has delivered above and beyond my hopes and expectations (I knew it was going to be good, it's Kasia, after all!), and wow, I have LOVED every minute of it. I love your teaching style and I really appreciated how you shared your personal experiences with us. You are so cool! I'm going to miss this class and I'll be ready to sign up to the next class you run, this one has been worth every penny. Thank you x
And this one from Marjorie Little:
So sorry I won't be seeing your smiling face and listening to your wisdom every day. I have enjoyed it so much. As this course has progressed, I have found myself getting happier and happier. Everything is more interesting and I am motivated to look around for inspiration. I have reached out to find art minded friends and found 2 very close to home. In doing my final assignment, and I already know that it will be impossible for me to decide what 3 things I've learned are most important.
When, a few days ago, I was going through the feedback forms, I had to literally take breaks. The amount of love that my students shared was almost overwhelmingly huge. Their personal stories, the things that the Day by Day course changed in their lives, the joy, the open minds. I know I will be going back to them again and again, whenever I'll need a push to create more courses. Thank you everyone who joined.
Day by Day enrolments are closed, but if you want to join me to establish a more consistent art routine, why not take a look at the 100 Small Steps offering? I'd love to see you in the classroom!
