Hello there! Man, oh man—I miss you! How are you doing? That’s not a rhetorical question, I seriously want to know. It’s been a series of ups and downs for me the past 4+ months. Some days, I feel like I am drowning in loss and grief and trauma, and other days I feel like I am better able to approach life with fluidity and an open mind and heart (moving during a pandemic was both a blessing and a curse). If nothing else, this pandemic has (re)taught me powerful lessons in flexibility, creative thought, and impermanence.
I want to talk to you today about my re-opening plan for Fall 2020. I’ve vacillated, I’ve sought opinions of parents and students, I’ve been following covid case numbers and scientific recommendations, and I had so much hope that I would be able to safely be able to open again in September. Unfortunately, that is not the case—this virus is not relenting and covid fatigue is leading to behaviors that will continue its spread. There is no way I can, in good conscience or with any level of certainty, reopen the studio in a way that supports the physical, mental, emotional, and artistic health of the community I serve.
I can’t do what I do best (nor can I bring out the best in each child and attendee) if I am doing symptoms checks, stressing about drop off and pick up procedures, or policing things like appropriate/continuous mask use, hand washing, adequate distancing, supply sharing, and so much more. My blood pressure spikes and my brain hurts just thinking about it—the logistics of it all is a creativity killer. It’s the antithesis to the environment I cultivate and would be highly impractical in my studio environment.
All this being said, I am drawing my line in the sand and deciding to do what I believe is in the best interest for all of us: I am going to continue to hold all of my classes and private client sessions online through at least December 31, 2020. It physically hurts me to not be able to teach in person, give countless hugs every day, and spend time in the place I love with all my heart. But, it feels right in my bones to operate this way. And, I think that the shift to online classes in the spring was highly successful, given the circumstances.
Here is what you can expect:
- I am planning to hold TWO shorter online sessions this fall. They will be six weeks each and will run from early September to mid-December. Shorter sessions make sense for people who might be suffering economic hardships due to covid and also make sense for people who aren’t sure if they can commit to a full three months at this time. You can do one or both sessions.
- I am planning to return to art journaling for both of these sessions. There are a million reasons why I am choosing this path, none the least of which is everyone’s mental health. Art journaling is one of my favorite kinds of art, and it’s also portable and offers boundless opportunities for both personal and creative expression. Full class kits will be supplied and pre-session pick-up times are TBD.
- I will be offering discounts for people who sign up for BOTH sessions at the time of registration. This offer will not be good later and cannot be combined with other discounts (like sibling discounts).
- The schedule will be the same: Monday and Thursday classes. Maximum of 12 children per session. I am also exploring other one-time class options to enhance social connection/interaction, allow for creative outlets, improve mental health, and provide much needed emotional intelligence tools for our kids, who have certainly suffered the past four months (and will need additional outlets to process the collective trauma they will continue to experience during the academic day).
Additional info will follow in early August once I get registration up and running. But, I wanted to allow some lead time for planning purposes.
I know this won’t be a one-size-fits-all plan. And I know I might lose long-term students and families because of it. But I can’t, in good conscience, put any of you at greater risk during a public health emergency. There would be no integrity in that.
Please reach out if you have questions, concerns, or want more info. Like my husband often says, “This isn’t ideal,” but I am trying to make the best of a really crappy situation. In the midst of all the uncertainty, I can at least guarantee you all some continuity, interpersonal connection, and creativity. I hope you will continue to join me on the journey.
With love and wishes for good health,
JennP.S. Thank you to the parents who took the time to email me or speak with me to have an open dialog about the fall. Your honesty and candor was much appreciated.