Well before the first lockdown I was invited to speak at a Women's Entrepreneurial event in 2019-Inova's Festival of Skills, and also invited to a space to showcase my artwork. Several people came to speak to me afterwards and one was a WEA (Worker's Educational Association) Co-ordinator who invited me to hold and create a course. Being a artist and writer keen on people's well-being I began working on the course that I decided to call 'Tap into your own wisdom'; recognising that often we know more solutions than we often give ourselves credit for, and sourcing wisdom from the natural world.

I was then fortunate to be on a long awaited first visit to family in Aoteroa (New Zealand) where much of the time I was immersed in nature including the rolling in and folding back of tides on many beautiful beaches whilst looking for paua shells with the backdrop of Pohutukawa trees in full red bloom. Arriving home to the UK the world was gripped by the increasing worry of the pandemic, and all were turning to a world of communication online. At that point I hadn't thought of leading courses on line, but had no choice but to learn how. My August 2020 'In our own Nature' blogpost speaks of my online art classes for children that developed to the ones I wrote about last month: 'Children's painting classes-the beauty of birds'.

So in November 2020 I held a WEA taster course and then see videos of Spring Tap into Your Own Wisdom & Summer Tap into Your Own Wisdom-Living Trees Terms held full 10 week courses of 'Tap Into Your own Wisdom' and found that I really enjoyed teaching online. There was really good feedback from students such as:

' I always felt that I was creative but didn't think I was an artist but now I know I am.'

' I was stuck and the prompts on this course got me creating more than I imagined.'

'I have learnt so much about myself and from others on the course. It's been so supportive.'

I am really impressed by the visual and written work students have been inspired to create, despite everyone having to deal with the impacts of the pandemic.Click on the video link above to see some of the amazing work: Tap into Your Own Wisdom-Living Trees