Let's Go Deep!
A creative mentorship program for artists to create a cohesive body of work.
Please Note: Let’s Go Deep Registration is currently closed. Click here to check out several free resources, and sign up to be on the Let’s Go Deep waitlist. I’ll notify you when the course is ready to open back up.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions:
When can I register?
Registration is currently closed. Click here to check out several free resources, and sign up to be on the Let’s Go Deep waitlist. I’ll notify you when the course is ready to open back up.
The program is six months long… I worry about falling behind due to travel, work schedule, guests, emergencies, etc.
Fear not! The pacing of the program will allow you to find the timing that works for you in the space. The lessons are designed to be doable and flexible, and you can easily adapt and shift them to the events of your life. We’ll have one live call each week, and if you have a vacation or a crazy week, you can always watch the recording of the lesson later, or adapt as you see fit—there is no “falling behind.”
I designed this program so that it wouldn’t overly tax the participants, because I know my own work cycle all too well: I know that I can work like gangbusters and ride the flow, but ultimately I need times of rest. Certainly this is true for all of us!
If you’re thinking things like, “I want to do this program, but I’m afraid that it’ll add one too many things to my plate or that I won’t be able to finish it,” or “Annamieka has all this shiny, happy, brightly-colored energy—I couldn’t possibly keep up with her,” or “I’m too young/old/inexperienced/experienced,” I want you to know that I’ll be showing you the behind the scenes reality of how I actually make my work. The fact is, I’m not full-energy all the time. We’ll be taking a vulnerable creative journey together.
I want to become a better painter. Will this course teach me to paint?
Yes you will definitely become a better painter, empowered with the concepts of basic design, color theory, and a solid understanding of why and how you make your work. However, this is not a paint-like-me course. This is a course about strengthening your own creative practice and making a cohesive body of work. If you want to learn painting techniques from me, my Wild Wonder ecourse or Garden of Possibilities ecourse will perfect for you. Wild Wonder and Garden of Possibilities are both self-paced online courses where I walk you step-by-step through learning my painting techniques. Many people have taken these courses first, and then taken Let’s Go Deep with me to evolve into their own style. You don’t have to be a painter to participate in Let’s Go Deep— you can be a creative of any stripe. In the previous rounds of Let’s Go Deep we have had painters, photographers, printmakers, filmmakers, writers, sculptors, and ceramic artists. There will be lots of interaction among the group as we ask ourselves the questions about the work itself and hone our styles. We will all develop a new portfolio of several new works that reflect our own voices as artists.
Tell me more about the portfolio review.
The portfolio review is awesome! It’s a special time together to look deep into your work.
The type of portfolio I’m talking about creating during Let's Go Deep—which I believe can take us to the next level—is a mindful, focused, cohesive portfolio. It can be as small as three works, or up to ten works or more. The point is that the portfolio explores your range and your voice in exploring a particular idea.
For example, I’m currently putting together a portfolio of Pacific Northwest-inspired botanical paintings for a gallery show thanks to a grant from the Regional Arts & Culture Council. I’ll be sharing the process of creating this body of work with the artists in my Let’s Go Deep 2021 cohort.
Another type of portfolio could be about something you want to say, like if you’re interested in making art about global warming, anti racism, or another cause or idea. You’d make a body of work and then select and refine what goes into your portfolio. Your portfolio is what you’re beaming out into the world. And - a portfolio says what kind of work you are available to do more of. So make sure your portfolio is calling in the work you want to make!
We’ll be talking about ways to put your portfolio together and where to go next. However, this is not a business or branding class. You won’t learn about making a website. Yet this will help all of those efforts, because the most important thing that an artist needs is a cohesive body of work.
When are the weekly calls?
The weekly calls are from 10am-11:30am PT every Wednesday, beginning the first week of January 6th 2021 and ending June 30th 2021. (Convert to your timezone here) I encourage every artist in the course to submit questions, artwork, and progress updates ahead of time, which I share on the call. If you cannot attend the call live, you can watch the recording. We also include a time stamp log for each call so that you can find out exactly when your question was answered on the call.
I live on the other side of the planet, and the call times are at 4am in my timezone. Can we change the call times?
In our course we usually have a wide array of time zones (both coasts of the USA plus Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia). I have tried many things over the years in an effort to find a call time that works for everyone. What I have found is that changing the call times does not affect attendance - some artists are very motivated and make it to every live call, no matter what. And some artists find that listening to the recording works better for them, and they never choose to attend the live calls. In 2021, I am going to keep the call times consistently at 10am PT, every Wednesday, for 90 minutes. Convert to your timezone here.
What happens in the weekly calls?
All the calls will be recorded. We will have a live call every Wednesday at 10am PT for 90 minutes.
Live Lesson presentation: The first thing I will do on each call is present your weekly lesson. A lot of people like to join the lesson live to watch me present it in real time and then talk immediately afterwards as a group. I say hello to everyone and then I take between 15-30 min to present the lesson. While I am presenting, you are invited to submit your questions in the chat, to discuss afterwards.
Your weekly assignment: After I present the weekly lesson, I’ll give you your weekly assignment. This is a bite-sized action that you can take to make progress on your art. Some weeks, it will be a tiny thing that we can complete together on the call. Other weeks, it will be an action you will go take in your life after the call. I will invite you to email me once you’ve completed your assignment, and I will respond to your email with a dance-party-celebration when you submit your assignment.
Q+A questions: After the live presentation, we’ll have a Q+A facilitated discussion with the creative community. For the Q+A discussion, you can submit questions ahead of time and I'll talk through them first, and then we send out a time-stamped call log so you can jump directly to your question in the recording. Once I've talked through all of the submitted questions, I open it up as a group discussion to everyone on the call.
Group Discussion: Everyone on the call is invited to check in, and share progress updates with us. This is a lovely time to see each other and check in on your art.
What is the time commitment for this course?
Every Wednesday, we will have a live call. Each call is 90 minutes long. You can attend live, or watch the recording. Each call will have a presentation section, an assignment, and a Q+A section, followed by a facilitated conversation with the intimate community of creatives in the course.
You will also receive a printable, written version of the lesson. We will send this out along with the call recording each week. Budget 30 minutes to read the packet.
Each week you will have an assignment. The assignments will vary in length. I design them to be bite-sized, and actionable.
Each time you submit an assignment, you will receive a personalized video email from me checking in on you and your art practice, giving you encouragement and a nudge (or a kick in the pants!) depending upon what you need that week.
Each week, I encourage you to submit your questions ahead of time for me to answer on the call. I research answers to all of the submitted questions and then I talk through them efficiently, and when we post the recording we also post a timestamp log so that you can jump immediately to your own question in the recording.
The most important thing is your own studio practice. You want to schedule regular time to make your artwork, and this can vary. I’d suggest a minimum of two hours each week to work on your new artwork.
At the beginning of the course, you meet with me individually and we make a plan for your project. Towards the end of the course, you meet with me individually again and do a one-on-one portfolio review. These sessions are each 50 minutes. You may have additional 1-on-1 sessions with me if you have registered at the VIP level or signed up for additional sessions.
So that's the time commitment. Think of it this way: once a week, there is a lesson call to watch or listen to, and then everything after that is self-directed and can be flexible according to your own schedule. The most important thing — work on your artwork!
What does the course curriculum cover?
Month One:
Preparing Your Toolkit
Packing Your Toolkit
Setting Up Your Main Creative Space
Uncovering Your Big Why
Uncover Your Big Why
The Impact of Your Work in the World
There is Truly no Competition in Creative Work
Reflect on Your Past Work—With Love!
Honor Your Influences
Go On an Influence Fast
Dig Into Your Art Practice This Month!
Use Your Art Supplies!
Month Two:
How We Do Our Work
Action 101: How We Work on Our Work
Commitment and Manifestation 101
Planning the Work and Working the Plan
Being Alone with Your Work
Deadlines and Procrastination
Self Love is the Foundation to Creative Practice
Make it Fun
Basic Design Elements
Line
Shape
Texture
Perspective
Motion
Value
Month Three:
Advanced Design
Rhythm
Balance
Scale/Proportion
Emphasis & Focal Point
Unity
Color Theory
Summary: What is color?
Handy-dandy basic terms to know for understanding color.
Color qualities: hue, saturation, and value
Understanding tints, shades, and tones
Temperature of colors
Examples from art history
Month Four:
Constructive Critique
Critical Evaluation and the Evaluation Rubric
Giving and Receiving Criticism
Creating Cohesion
Looking Objectively at Your Work
Looking Subjectively at Your Work
Looking Reflectively at Your Work
Edit the Collection
Building Bridges Between Your Work
Editing Art and Editing Life
Month Five:
Building Bridges
Prompts for Bridge Building
Turning Dreams into Goals
Building Bridges - Motivation
Building Bridges - Action Steps
Building Bridges - Rewards
Fall in Love with Your Creative Practice
Fall in Love with Your Creative Practice
The Five Love Languages: Suggestions for Your Creative Practice
Creativity Generates Creativity
Deep Rest to Nourish Your Creative Practice
Month Six:
Writing Your Artist’s Statement
Prompts for Generating Your Artist’s Statement
Applying for Grants and Residencies
The Artist’s CV
Show Your Work and Keep Going
Circling Back; Integrating
Showing Your Work: Preparing for an Exhibit
Returning as an Alumni
Testimonials
How to Keep Going
Nuts and Bolts:
Course length 6 months:
The course begins January 6th 2021 and ends June 30th 2021.
Dates for our weekly calls:
We will start our once-a-week calls on Wednesday, January 6th 2021 until our final call June 30th 2021. All calls are at 10am PT for 90 minutes.
Your weekly assignments:
We will email you a recording of the weekly call by Friday of each week, along with a downloadable/printable .pdf of the lesson and assignment.
Turning in your assignments:
Each time you complete an assignment, send me a brief email and I will respond with encouragement, resources, or whatever you need.
Your project for the course:
During our six months together, you will create new artwork. The course is structured to help you conceptualize, create, and refine your new body of work.
Let's Go Deep: Create a Cohesive Body of Work that is truly YOURS.
Do you want to focus your full creative force on your art? Let's Go Deep.
Let's Go Deep - Basic Level
A MORE IN-DEPTH LOOK AT WHAT YOU GET:
Two individualized sessions with me that each have a specific purpose and support your success.
A 1-on-1 session via video conference during the early part of our course to create an individualized plan for working through the program to make sure your needs are met.
A Portfolio review in the middle of our course. You'll get my perspectives on your new work, within the context of your growth, to help you clarify your own style and voice at this powerful time in your career!
Weekly Lessons (Including Videos and Downloadable Worksheets)
You'll learn a new way every week to get deep into your work, access your own creative power and uncover your own voice and style
A live call every Wednesday. After the presentation part of each call, there’s a facilitated conversation with the intimate community of creatives in the course.
Personal Video - Just for you, from me, every time you complete an assignment!
Assignments are bite-sized, and designed for you to take action. Each week, you’ll get one fun, actionable assignment and I will invite you to send me a quick email once you’ve done it. Each time you submit your assignment, you will receive a personalized video email reply from me that is chock-full of feedback and encouragement. I’ll check in on your progress and keep you accountable while boosting your creative practice with this personalized feedback.
Are you ready to go all-in?!
Stand in your confidence and power as an artist!
What's your refund policy?
There are no refunds. By signing up, you are committing to yourself, to your art practice, and to me for this 6 month period. Imagine that you have wanted to go to the moon your entire life. Think of your commitment to Let’s Go Deep like a super-valuable ticket that buys you one seat on the NASA rocket that is going to the moon. Once you buy that ticket, you are going to be getting on that rocket no matter what happens! Kids, dogs, work, school, money, time, energy - it doesn't matter, you are going to show up and get on that rocketship to see the stars no matter what it takes. It will change your life forever and you'll always thank yourself for making it happen. That is level of commitment that I am asking for when you sign up for this program, and that is why I don't give refunds. Also I am running a business and that is not how the program works.
However, I am a reasonable human being and if something truly comes up and you can't continue the program, we will work it out in communication together. Thank you!
Book a call with me to get all of your questions answered and make sure that you are ready to commit!
Am I gonna love it?
Oh honey, you're gonna love it - I promise! And, as with everything growth-filled and awesome, there are bound to be some uncomfortable places along the way. Stick with it. Communicate with me. Let me know how I can support you, how this program can support you getting the results that you wish to get out of it. Ultimately, it is up to you to implement this and make it a part of your life. But trust me, if you show up and do the work, you will get to a new place in your creative practice. For sure!
But don't just take my word for it...here are a few testimonials from past Let’s Go Deep participants! Want to read more? Please visit the testimonials page! Also visit the artist spotlight pages to learn about the full Let’s Go Deep experience and see artworks created by artists Melanie Gooi and Tara Kate Robinson!
“As a fledgling artist, I was able to accomplish so much under the guidance of Annamieka and this amazing online artists' collaborative. Annamieka's gift is her ability to listen and give feedback in a way that is so deep and personally individualized, yet benefits everyone in the class.” — Lita Colligan, Portland, Oregon
“At first, I was hesitant to sign up for Let's Go Deep because I didn't want more on my to-do list. But my concerns were quickly eased. After working with Annamieka for a year, now I often hear her voice in my head asking me questions, like: Where do you want the viewer's eye to go? or, Where can you add more value contrast? I recently referred someone to the Let's Go Deep program who wanted to find her own specific artistic niche and style. I would definitely sign up again for this course (and I might!). “ — Glenda Goodrich, Salem, Oregon.
”Let’s Go Deep is about developing a productive and meaningful creative practice as a visual artist. It’s thoughtfully, brilliantly designed to help you do that. She is a phenomenally gifted guide.” — Betsy Cordes, San Francisco, California
“The mentoring sessions were the best!! “, Cami Flake, Novato, California
By the end of June 2021, you could have a strong, cohesive body of work, and an art practice that fits like your favorite jacket. Powerful & truly YOU. Now tell me, what's that worth to you? Let's make it happen!
If you have any questions about the program, please contact me.
Thank you and I can hardly freaking wait to go deep with you!
-Annamieka