I have agreed to teach a class in Danny Gregory's Sketchbook Skool (and yes, my spellcheck cringes at that K in school, too) and some delightful people are signed up for it. This is the third day of class and I am truly enjoying the interaction, the work, the responses and questions.
I am glad to finally be DOING it rather than preparing for it, which engaged my attention for months.
It is overwhelming, confusing, challenging and marvelous.
The platform we are using for the classes is much more complex than I'm used to, and I worry about missing questions directed to me (and as a reminder, there is a "Questions for Cathy" page at the end, and that's where I look, several times a day...otherwise I may not find a question.)
I do miss being able to hit a "like" button! It would be nice if people knew I saw their comments without trying to comment on all of them, which is, in fact, just not possible. I regret that reality, but there it is. It would be nice to be able to reply to individual comments or questions, as you can on YouTube...but it is what it is, and with a class of thousands, it works amazingly well.
Interestingly, I ran out of time to do the one lesson I really felt closest to, finding a Heart Home...but that can be another day, another class all my own.
My obligation, in this case, is to the students who signed up for the course, and specifically to those dear people who are working through my week. I do care, even if I can't keep up, or respond fully. Time and age conspire to prevent that!
And I take time to remember that my other true and ongoing, eternal obligations are to God, to spirit, to my husband and our cats, to nature, to life, and to creativity itself. Those things will be here long after Klass is over, and for that I am beyond grateful. They don't feel like obligations, they are joy itself. Gifts, pure and simple.
The gratitude list above--one of many in my journals--attests to that!
