One of the best TED talks I heard this year was Amanda Palmer's The Art of Asking. I learned awhile ago that if you ask for something, you often get it. I also learned that there is no shame in asking for something you need because often people are happy to give it to you. Asking did not come naturally to me. I had to teach myself to fearlessly ask for what I needed and to accept the results: sometimes it would be 'no' but the majority of time, to my never ending surprise and gratitude, the answer would be positive. As a generally self-reliant and independent person, I always thought asking for help was the last resort. I wonder why are we so reluctant to ask for what we need? Does it make us seem weak? Vulnerable? And what is so wrong with these traits any way? Amanda Palmer suggests that the ability to ask could be a form of strength. Maybe asking and giving brings us to the root of who we are as a species: social beings who are looking for a sense of purpose and a way to connect to other people.

TED Amanda Palmer The art of asking (Amanda Palmer 2013) Ted Talks

The Vancouver Island School of Art survives and flourishes because of the generosity of the people who attend courses and workshops. I am not referring to financial generosity, but rather a generosity of spirit. Our students and instructors continually promote VISA to everybody they know, and that in turn brings more students to us. 

As a small school with relatively no marketing budget this kind of promotion is invaluable. I'd like to say that offering great art courses and workshops to people of all levels and ages, and having wonderful and kind instructors as well as a dedicated office staff, would be enough to keep us going. All these things are an important part of our success, but the truth is we still need more people to know about the school. The costs of running an organization such as VISA are immense. I know there are people in Victoria who have yet to discover the art school on Quadra Street and I'd like to find a way to reach them.

So I am asking you to tell your family and friends about what VISA has to offer, such as our line-up of upcoming workshops in February and March. These one-day and two-day workshops are a perfect way to add some creativity to a person's busy work week. All supplies are included so the only requirement is to show up.

Another way you can help promote the school is to take a handful of flyers to your local coffee shop, yoga class or doctor's office. Many of our new students come to us from a flyer that they have picked up around town. Flyers with our current offerings are found just outside the office door.

Also take a look for yourself and see if there is something that might be of interest to you. Treat yourself to some time off from the hectic pace of daily life and give yourself a day of art. For a link to the full list of workshops: Upcoming Workshops.

In the meantime I thank you for your part in helping create this wonderful art community that we call VISA. 

Images and maps of the night sky and solar system offer endless source material for drawing. The focus of this one-day workshop is on using astronomy-related images as a starting point for imaginative abstract drawings. Participants work with white and coloured drawing materials (such as gel pens, conté crayon and pastels) on a black surface. The three drawing projects undertaken during the class are based on images of stars, planets and celestial maps. There is no need to know anything about astronomy, just a desire to explore the night sky as inspiration for drawing. This is a great workshop for those who want to move their imagination beyond the everyday as well as experience the excitement of drawing on a black surface. Suitable for complete beginners.