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Router Magic VI is now just a memory. We had a good sized group - all eager to learn.... and that we did!
Three people signed up after seeing us at the local home shows we did in the last weeks. They picked up my business cards at the show and then went home and looked up our website... and after noticing we did workshops signed up in the last days before the show. These people didn't own routers or even signs shops. We were a little concerned that they might be overwelmed with information not pertinent to their interests, but at the same time we didn't want to water down our planned program and not meet the needs of our guests who were very experienced in the sign business. We knew we were in for a challenge...
It turned out I didn't need to worry.... for things always work out well in the end.
Our classroom time covered our usual material... regarding design, inspiration, production, and creation of our unique signs and routing files and textures. For those who wanted more indepth information regarding EnRoute Jeff Hartman (who wrote the program) was here to cover that information while the rest of us 'played' in the shop. Rebecca and Donna were on hand and did a marvelous job keeping everyone busy, productive and all the myriad of questions answered - no matter what the skill level of our participants. As the students toiled on their personal projects I gave demonstrations on large sculpted concrete project - encouraging folks to help out
The students's projects were simply amazing... and the most important instruction I give... to USE YOUR IMAGINATION was followed to the letter... we had so many laughs and learned the whole time... it was a good time in Yarrow!
This workshop - similar to each workshop before it, took on the flavor our guests injected into it... and it shaped itself to the needs of those who attended.
Thank you again to Janis, Rebecca, Donna and Vicki for the hard behind the scenes work necessary to pull off such an event so smoothly. And thanks to Jeff Hartman for his teaching skills as he helped me. Thank you to everyone who attended and help shape the event. As usual I learned plenty and had a great deal of fun.
I just drove the last of our guests to the airport... the shop is quiet and almost everything is back in its rightful place...
Like always, Phoebe queried when she arrived the day after a workshop... "Where's all my people???"
It's way too quiet and empty in the shop as things return to 'normal' once again in Yarrow...
-grampa dan
[ February 23, 2009, 07:28 PM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8741 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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Love them horses...... How did these newbies fare out Dan! I feel I would somewhat be in their shoes was I to show up at one of your seminars! Still dreaming of a router table! P.S. Bec : Joined the group on facebook. Read afterwards "For attendees" Sorry!
[ February 24, 2009, 12:23 AM: Message edited by: J & N Signs ]
-------------------- Mario G. Lafreniere (Fergie) J&N Signs Winter did show up! Posts: 1257 | From: Chapleau, Ontario | Registered: Jun 1999
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The 'newbys' were among the last ones still at the workshop. I had a chance to talk with them about how they felt about the workshop. And I went to look over a project we are doing for one of them last night. We discussed the workshop and how they felt they did there... with very positive results. They are in fact recommending our workshop to their friends. So I guess there is the posibility that we might be seeing more 'laymen' at our workshops in the future. But we don't intend to 'dumb the program down' to accomodate any of our guests.
We have recieved positive feedback from our signfolks who attended the last workshop. They were pleased we could effectively accomodate such a wide variety of skill levels in our workshop.
The reality is that many sign folks who have attended our workshops in the past have had limited, or no experience with CNC routing. Many are there to explore whether a CNC router would fit into their way of doing business.
Others have never done hand painting. Few have any previous experience with sculpting, or our glazing techniques. Pretty much everyone who attends our workshops are looking for new ways to add dimension to their sign bag of tricks. We have designed our workshop to work for people - no matter what their level of experience... and judging from the comments and feedback we recieve we are doing it for the most part.
My talks on our approach to routing, design, business and life aren't real long, dry lectures. We try to break up our routing discussions into short segments so folks don't get too bored if it doesn't apply to them. We like to start with the basics and as the weekend progresses we do some pretty advanced stuff. One on one or small group lessons by Jeff (or myself) in the evenings accomodate those who want more. We back it all up with training videos and worksheets which cover the things we teach in the workshop.
Each workshop we do is slightly tweaked, based on our experiences and feedback from past guests. The mix of our attendees and the questions they ask also shape our discussions to a large degree.
Through it all we try and stay loose and enjoy ourselves as we host the workshops. And through it all I am learning alongside each of our guests.
Still learning plenty in Yarrow...
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8741 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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