Today’s world is fast paced, always-connected, and often exhausting. We are in constant contact with friends, relatives, and coworkers, yet building genuine and authentic relationships is harder than ever. Soft skills, such as communication and critical thinking, are the cornerstone of both professional and personal relationships, yet they are often overlooked. A painting class provides the opportunity to slow down, connect, and get to know your team members or loved ones in a whole new way. Here’s the psychology behind the experience.
1. Safe and Supportive Environment
A painting class is a carefully crafted experience that is designed to foster relaxation. The painting project itself serves as a focus task, providing common ground from which to build conversations and connections. We encourage chatting and bonding throughout the class.
2. Low-Stakes Risks
Many people are a bit shy, afraid to take the spotlight, or reluctant to risk failure. A painting class is designed to be just challenging enough to encourage risk-taking, but highly supportive and judgment-free. This can help reticent participants to step outside their comfort zone, secure in the knowledge that there are no real stakes. Small successes in class can lead to very real gains in self-confidence and assertiveness outside of the studio.
3. Communication Enhancement
Each class is led by an expert artist who walks students through a step by step process of recreating a featured painting. To be successful, it is important to listen closely, translate the instructions into actions, and ask questions about anything that isn’t clear. Many students also choose to team up, working in small groups to make everyone’s paintings the best they can be. In this environment, it becomes easy to practice clear communication and listening skills.
4. Leadership Practice
In many cases, people who are not natural leaders discover that they have a great deal of artistic skill. These people often emerge as small group leaders in class, speaking up and helping others to refine their work. This offers excellent leadership practice that students can take with them into the real world beyond the studio.
5. Collaboration Opportunities
Although it is perfectly acceptable to work alone, collaboration is also encouraged. Working in pairs or groups, participants have the perfect opportunity to get to know each other in a meaningful way. Painting classes tend to build lasting bonds between participants.
6. Observation and Critical Thinking
To succeed in art, you must be able to break the whole into a series of components, and reproduce them accurately. Our expert artists are highly adept at teaching this skill and helping students to practice it in a safe and secure way. The ability to critically analyze incoming information, dissect it into its component parts, and then rebuild it is valuable both in the office and at home.
7. Shared Novelty
Psychology tells us that one of the best ways to grow closer to someone is to share a novel experience with that person. Simply trying something new together helps bonds to develop, and successfully navigating a challenge can cement those bonds. Whether you want to build a strong team or reconnect with a romantic partner, a painting class can be the key to foster authentic and long-lasting relationships.
A painting class is a wonderful way to get to know yourself and your loved ones or coworkers in a whole new way. In a safe, relaxed, and secure environment, you will learn to challenge yourself, step outside of your comfort zone, and develop new skills. You will tap into parts of yourself that you never knew existed, and build lasting bonds with those with whom you share the experience. All materials are provided, so all you need to do is put on some old clothes and show up ready to see what happens next.