Have you ever purchased a gym membership?
Let me guess, when you signed up you imagined yourself on the treadmill or pumping iron regularly. A few days a week, if not every day! You took out a 12 month membership because everybody knows that this will be the clincher – once you’ve paid you have to get your money’s worth!
A gym membership (you thought) was just the motivation you needed to get going and finally get fit and stay fit.
What happened next? One of two things:
- The first day you went was great, you felt awesome and on top of the world. Day 2, rolling out of bed early to fit in a session, you didn’t feel so crash hot about the whole thing. Day 3, you decided you really needed that sleep in, but you would definitely get back to the gym tomorrow. That was 6 months ago.
2. You made a plan and started slowly. You decided that 3 sessions a week was realistic for you and that you needed some guidance to start with. You wanted to build gradually towards a good level of fitness, free of injury or exhaustion. 6 months later, you maintain this plan and feel really great about your health and the steps you took to achieve your goals.
All of this is hypothetical of course, especially considering that I myself have never so much as stepped inside a gym – the very notion makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Give me a healthy walk in the fresh air any day!
But I wanted to use the gym analogy today because it coincides pretty well with what I want to say about my Online Weaving School.
What does working out have to do with learning to weave? Quite a bit, actually.
- Both require a commitment. And not short term, just as you don’t achieve fitness overnight, you don’t become a great weaver overnight.
- Both take effort and patience.
- Both involve goals setting and time investment.
- Both are extremely rewarding and produce wonderful results if all of the above are adhered to.
I will be the first to admit that I absolutely love the fact that memberships in my Weaving School are thriving at currently over 800 students. I’m amazed and so grateful that so many new and seasoned weavers want to learn with me.
But, I have to tell you that the figure of over 800 students is only a vanity metric if most of those students are not actually engaged, making the most of their memberships and learning exciting new techniques.
Because this is not all about how much money I can make from the volume of students I have. That is not why I started all of this (you can read more about my story here and a more recent version here) and it’s not why I work so hard to make my school the best it can be.
The thrill and enjoyment that I get seeing a student have a lightbulb moment, weaving something beautiful or falling hopelessly in love with this craft, is why I do what I do. You really can’t put a price on that.
If you are already a member, please, use the tools that I’ve provided to make your membership the very best learning experience I can provide. Join the membership community, interact with the other students, plan your class list and start working though them.
Know that if you are having trouble, there is support available. Members receive personal support from me when needed, and also from the community of other members.
So, what will you get with a membership?
You will get a HUGE variety of weaving classes to choose from that you can work through in your own time, in your own way. You can stop the videos any time you need to and rewatch again and again. There are countless printable PDF information sheets.
You will get to join a friendly and helpful community of weavers at all different levels. Some are absolute beginners, others have been weaving for years. And they will all cheer you on!
What won’t you get with a membership?
You will not get a babysitter. I don’t mean that to sound harsh, but just like a gym membership, the results are up to you. You will see improvement and success if you put in the time and effort it takes. But you have to show up, have a positive attitude and be ready to learn.
If you are interested in taking out a membership or perhaps checking out one of the free classes available at my weaving school, here are so links for you to have a look at:
Free classes:
Kitty Cats on a rigid heddle loom
Waffle Weave for rigid heddle loom
Wave and Zigzag shuttle weaving
Calculating Warp for the rigid heddle loom
Honeycomb on a rigid heddle loom
Do you have a membership already? What are your strategies for ensuring you make the most of it? Share in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!
Until next time…
Happy Weaving!