Many people might feel too intimidated to take an art class because they feel that they’re “not artistic” or don’t have any “artistic talent.” However, art classes are actually quite relaxing and boost everyone’s confidence.
Art classes encourage relaxation and creativity, which leads to more genuine connection among team members. Creating a solid team is all about creating genuine connections that take team members beyond politeness to real camaraderie. When you’re building an effective team, you’re going to want them to feel comfortable being creative around one another because that’s how great things get done. Art classes can be great practice for that.
Art classes can cover a surprising amount of topics, including painting, cartooning, doodling, macrame, calligraphy, watercolor, candle making, terrarium building, sun printing, making friendship bracelets, or even creating vision boards. Everyone usually leaves with a cool handmade object or art piece they can hang on their home office wall or share with a loved one.
Art classes allow teams to bond without the pressure of making small talk. This can be especially useful for remote teams that don’t bump into each other in the break room. Giving your team a common task such as arts and crafts, will give them a shared experience to Slack about. Your team will connect naturally while creating art, expressing themselves, and feeling relaxed.
Benefits of Art Classes for Virtual Teams
There is no denying the importance of scheduling team building activities. Research shows that team building is an indispensable part of a solid business or organization. It demonstrates that every company is only as successful as its teams; and, sometimes only as successful as its least successful teams.
According to surveys performed by business consultants, top-level executives cite “teamwork” as the most important skill an employee can bring to a company. Good teamworking skills are prized above other popular skills such as communication, leadership, creativity, or technical skills. That’s because a good team is made up of good team members. An obvious but noteworthy benefit of team-building activities is that they will actually increase your individual team members’ team working skills.
One additional benefit of art classes is that they can be relaxing. This can make them a great choice for high-stress teams that need a little time to unwind together. Once walls start coming down, that’s when the real connections start being made.
Art classes are an excellent way to connect more deeply to the self and others. Art classes encourage creativity, which is necessary for vital team dynamics. According to Christianne Strang, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Alabama, “Creativity in and of itself is important for remaining healthy, remaining connected to yourself and connected to the world.”
Top Online Art Classes for Virtual Teams
Virtual Cartooning & Doodling Workshop
Your team will learn all of the fundamentals in Virtual Cartooning & Doodling Workshop. Everyone will be guided by a professional artist instructor from stick figures to cartoon faces in only a 1.5-hour workshop. This course is designed to be beginner-friendly and is suitable for people of all artistic abilities. Your team will need to supply needed materials such as pen, pencil, and sketch paper.
Virtual Watercolor Workshop (Materials Included)
In Virtual Watercolor Workshop, participants will learn watercoloring techniques and how to apply them. Each person will create an abstract painting using the “wet-on-wet” technique in this fun, creative, and relaxing workshop. You will select an image from CourseHorse’s catalog of images or you can provide your own. All materials will be shipped to participants, including watercolor paints, watercolor paper, and two watercolor brushes.
Virtual Clay Building Workshop (Materials Included)
Your team will learn simple pottery techniques and use them to create a planter or candle holder in Virtual Clay Building Workshop. This beginner-friendly workshop provides a hands-on and creative outlet for your hard-working team to socialize. All materials will be shipped to participants, including two pounds of air-drying modeling clay and a tool kit, which includes a modeling tool, a ribbon tool, a loop tool, potter’s rib, wire clay cutter, metal scraper, a needle tool, and a sponge.
Virtual Acrylic Painting (Materials Included)
Your team will create a painting on canvas together in Virtual Acrylic Painting. They will also have fun while being creative and doing something new together. You will select the image from a catalog of images. All materials will be shipped to participants, including acrylic paints, canvas, brushes, palette, and a wooden easel. You can also choose to have a bottle of wine mailed to participants for an additional $30.
Virtual Candle Making (Materials Included)
Virtual Candle Making is a laid-back soy candle-making class that is totally beginner-friendly. An expert instructor will guide your team through making beautiful, custom soy/beeswax candles from their own homes. Everyone will be encouraged to grab a drink and some snacks during the course. All necessary materials will be shipped to participants, including a small pouring pitcher, a stir stick, wax chips, two candle tins, two wicks, wick adhesive, and fragrance oil.
Virtual Calligraphy Workshop (Materials Included)
Your team will learn how to make beautiful letters in Virtual Calligraphy Workshop. Modern calligraphy is more free-form than traditional forms of calligraphy and allows for greater creativity. Your team will receive two hours of instruction in modern calligraphy, with no prior experience required. All materials will be shipped to participants, including calligraphy pens, calligraphy markers, stationary, and practice worksheets.
Virtual Group Drawing & Sketching Class
Virtual Group Drawing & Sketching Class provides an hour-long introduction to still-life drawing with graphite. You will be asked to choose a topic beforehand; some example topics include still life, landscapes, botanical, faces, and custom options. The class covers drawing techniques such as using hatching and cross-hatching to create depth, build objects, and basic shapes.
Virtual Sun Printing Workshop (Materials Included)
You’ll use the power of the Sun to create beautiful art in Virtual Sun Printing Workshop. Cyanotype is a printing method that uses cyan-blue print and the sun to make unique creations. You can also attach physical materials such as buttons, flowers and leaves, keys, and lace. Your art can be framed in your house or used as greeting cards. All materials will be shipped to participants, including solar paper, an acrylic panel, decorative clip art, and dry-erase markers.
Virtual Art & Meditation (Materials Included)
Your team will gain inner peace while expressing their creativity in Virtual Art & Meditation. The workshop begins with a breathing exercise and meditation that doesn’t require anyone to leave their chair. This will be followed by a relaxing coloring workshop in which everyone colors their own mandala. All materials will be shipped to participants, including a coloring book and a set of gel pens.
Virtual Vision Board Workshop (Materials Included)
This sixty-minute Virtual Vision Board Workshop will have all of your team setting goals and getting ready to manifest them. Vision boards create an inspiration grouping of images that represent the things you want to bring into your life. A professional artist instructor will walk each member of your team through a series of prompts to help them clarify their goals. Then, they’ll encourage meaningful conversation as everyone creates. All materials will be shipped to participants, including a picture book with inspirational images, a cork board, and push pins.