Two Studios, Twice the Connection

I’ve just returned from San Jose where on Tuesday we hosted Nathalie Kalbach for 2 wondeful and inspiring classes.

I’ve managed to move the remaining inventory up to Oregon. From there I’ll sort and decide what continues to be sold online at aworkofheart.com and what is solely available for purchase when you come here to visit for classes, open studio or one of our delightful Retreat Among the Trees.

This marks the end of a chapter but the book continues. My greatest joy is gathering and connecting in community. Over my life I’ve been a part of one community or another at a time. Somehow the thing I tend to do best is gather the community I need by showing up authentically and holding space for others to do the same.

I look forward to continuing to connect in person in both of the wonderful creative and inspiring spaces. A Work of Heart Studio at 176 Race Street continues to be a hub for creative community gathering and creating together. It is available for private rental, group classes, scheduled workshops, pop-up shopping or art shows. You may wish to rent a table to spread your creative project out on for the day. We have started making the studio available by the day/week/month for an individual to come and create at one of our studio tables gaining access to some communal creative supplies you are also welcome to leave a stash of your personal supplies in a designated area.

In the Watch.Learn.Play. Studio on my Oregon property you can find monthly open studio sessions where locals come and create together in community. Additionally I offer periodic classes and bi-monthly weekend retreats. I also offer individual or small group classes or bespoke retreats. I love sharing my knowledge, skills and resources here in my cozy studio. Reach out to book something in the 2nd half of 2025 or beyond.

The retail offerings from aworkofheart.com will undergo an overhaul. I plan to start featuring sub-shops for my creative friends to offer their handmade goods. Expect to find March Moon Pottery coming this spring and even a wearable art selection from a couple of very talented creatives I can’t wait to introduce you to.

Side note

This all may sound busy to you. Busy is actually the opposite of how I spend my days. I love the quiet peaceful existence here in the trees of Oregon. I’ve learned to manage my energy and while I share with you all the creative and energetic ways we can show up together, the practice that makes that even remotely possible is rooted deeply in much quiet in solitude. I have to admit, it gives me a chuckle when I get the “oh you’re so busy” response to a social media post or when I share what I’m up to publicly. Busy is NOT what I strive for. Busy is a red flag and warning sign for burn out. I am not busy. I live a full and richly meaningful life open to as many creative connections as I can manage with my given time, talents and resources. Maybe that looks busy to you, however, it is not the energy I bring to the day to day tasks. I love my daily creative practice and find it extremely gratifying to share it with others in it’s perfectly imperfect state to hopefully inspire others to do the same.

I look forward to sharing here more in the coming months. I don’t know how many times I’ve tried to start a digital blog sharing with any sort of consistency. I think the only thing that keeps me going is engagement with others, so, time will tell.

Until the next installment of What in the world is Andrea up to now…

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