Arriving at the beautiful Boys Hall in Ashford, Kent there was an incredible scent which I quickly realised was the wisteria in bloom. It was beautifully sunny but very windy, the kind of day where you're not quite sure whether to be inside or out, if you need a coat or you don’t!
The group had been in meetings all morning, they were breaking for lunch then about to spend the next few hours drawing and painting.
Before we even got to the painting, we went for a walk. Just a slow wander around the beautiful gardens with clipboards and pencils, taking in the space. Noticing the building, the colours and textures of the planting, where the light was falling, seeing what everyone might be drawn to paint or be inspired by.
We did a couple of quick drawing exercises outside, to get over the fear of the blank page and have a quick warm up. Just looking and mark-making, focusing on feeling rather than output. It gave everyone a chance to breathe, see where they might want to sit later, and start to tune into the surroundings.
Then we came back inside and got started.
The Range in the Room
One of the things I love most about running these sessions is the mix of people you get. In this group there were complete beginners, people who hadn't painted for years, and a few who had their own creative practices. Some were immediately excited, they told me that team days in their experience had often been more competitive activities, and this felt like a welcome change. Others were more hesitant, unsure what they were about to make, but everyone gave it a try which is wonderful to see.
That range of ability is actually one of the best things about a watercolour workshop. There's no leaderboard, no right or wrong, just an opportunity to experiment in a way that feels right for you.
The Conversations
Some of my favourite moments from any workshop happen in the one-to-one conversations that emerge once people are painting.
One woman told me she loves creative things but doesn't think she's good at any of them, and that she doesn't mind, she just enjoys them. I love that attitude. We talked about how so much of what holds people back isn't lack of ability, it's the gap between what they're making and what they imagined it might look like. Those expectations built up without necessarily having the tools to get there yet. If you are familiar with the process, you can trust the outcome, but it’s vulnerable to try something new not knowing how it will turn out. Focusing on feeling and enjoyment is always the right place to start.
Another participant worked regularly in acrylics, building up colour from dark to light and couldn’t quite get their head around watercolour. I explained that watercolour is almost the opposite, you're working with transparency, so you start with your lights and layer towards the darks. It took a little while to click, and we talked about how strange it feels to try and unlearn a process you've become so used to. Sometimes the most useful thing you can do is just play, not try to create a specific piece, just experiment and see what happens. We're so rarely given permission to do that, especially at work.
Outside, a couple of people were drawing the building and getting increasingly preoccupied with whether the proportions were right. I said it’s sometimes knowing where to draw the line (no pun intended). I could find them a ruler, but actually it's not about accuracy, it's about your own creative expression. What you notice, what you choose to include, how you see it. Two people painting the same view will always make something completely different, and that's the point.
Some of my favourite art is expressive or deliberately almost childlike in appearance, capturing that freedom of expression. Yet some of us have this perception of accuracy that we are trying to achieve, me included, and I think it can take someone to challenge this thought to make you think about your beliefs. Something that translates into many different areas of life, questioning where a thought or belief comes from and if it is in fact true or not.
What People Said
By the end, the feedback that stayed with me was how relaxed people felt. Several mentioned that their usual team days lean to more competitive outlets, like sporting challenges and activities with winners. This was different, quieter, calmer and more personal.
A few people mentioned spending most of their working lives at screens, and how good it felt to do something offline and with their hands. That's something I hear a lot, and I always love to hear it because that is what drawing and painting gives me too.
What I Took Away
Every workshop teaches me something too. This one reminded me of the value of a short group exercise at the start, something to do together before people go off and find their own way, so everyone has a shared foundation to build from. I'm always learning how to hold these sessions better and I love that about what each workshop teaches me.
But more than anything, it reminded me of that moment that happens in almost every workshop. The conversation quiets and people are just painting. Someone usually comments on it after a while ‘we're all concentrating now’, because it’s not the norm to sit together in a shared space not speaking (while not being on phones or computers). Creating that shared space and comfortable silence is really powerful and gives people time to step away. Whatever was on their mind before they picked up a brush has, for a little while, stepped back. Traditional meditations can be challenging for some, but occupying your hands and brain enough to focus your mind is meditative in itself. Someone at the end said ‘I definitely haven’t thought about work for any of that time’, which is kind of the point. It gives people that space to be able to come back calmer and more refreshed.
That's what I'm really offering with my watercolour workshops. Not a step-by-step masterclass or a finished painting to take home and hang on the wall (though they usually do take that home too). Just permission to slow down, make something, and remember that creativity was always in there.
If you’re planning a retreat, team day, or off-site event and looking for something a little different, I'd love to hear from you to discuss how we can curate the perfect session for your team or guests.
