part three

5
Workshops As Activism
Pink Scroll

Pause for a moment and reconsider your true mission.

I see workshops as activism. Why?

We know that the *typical* ways people run workshops are actually supporting some less-than-ideal tendencies; perfectionism, centralization, surface engagement, and information overload.

Part 1 Part 2   |  Part 3 (You are here)  |  Part 4  |  Part 5

And does reinforcing those things make much sense for good-hearted people with a desire to change the world for the better?

Nope. Probably not. 

 

Some people do flawed things because they think it’ll help them reach their goals. 🤷🏽‍♀️

I’m personally not a fan of using the ends to justify the means.

In a minute, I’ll get into what I see as a more ideal approach to running workshops, but first let’s back up a bit and look at the big picture. 

Slow down for just a minute and think about your larger vision.

What are you trying to accomplish with your work?
What’s the purpose of you doing workshops?

 

Is it so that people will...

be impressed by you,

put more messages in the chat, and

have fleeting engagement?

Or is it so that people will...

feel empowered to act differently,

connect deeply with other humans, and

begin a journey of lasting transformation?

✨ 

My guess is what you *genuinely* want is for people to have their lives changed by your work.

You want them to remember the ideas and conversations they had, and you want those ideas and conversations to continue on, spreading into their local communities and online friend groups, rippling outward.

It’s about creating a shift away from the status quo.


It's about building a movement. ✨

Feel like a stretch? Think about it… at its core, what is activism, really?

Activist = Active + ist

It’s about people and taking action.

Usually that action is movement away from the status quo, or toward some ideal..

Activism then, is what an activist does.

(le duh, but stay with me)

Activism:
Attempting to create the conditions for (political or social) change to happen.

Those attempts can happen in myriad ways.

What comes to mind first for most people?

Things like…

🗨️Campaigning
✉️Letter writing
🧘Sit-ins and
💥Riots.


But what about…

🌷Creating a community garden?
💵Buying from local businesses?
🎨Making art?
✍🏽Telling stories?

Those things can make a difference too.

 

✨ 

Plus: hi, hello –
If giving a *speech* is activism…

Why wouldn’t it also be activism to invite someone into a *conversation*? 🤔

I hope you’re realizing:

"Oh shiiiet!
Workshops *can* be activism!"

So when we talk about the purpose of a workshop…. 

it’s not about finding a way to get people typing in the chat intermittently while your throat gets dry and scratchy from talking so much.

 

It’s about so much more.

 

In a well-designed workshop, you are creating the conditions for change to happen.

 

You’re bringing people together, sharing a new vision for how the world can be, creating a space with the tools/resources/healing/stories/support/conversations needed for the vision to become reality, and strengthening communities.

 

That is the true beauty (and purpose) of a workshop.

 

Workshop Facilitators = Activists

Next - Part 4/5:

I’ll introduce a framework for Enchanting Workshops you can use to build better workshops (in fewer iterations!) that are actually in line with your values.