You Really Do Not Need to Be Good at It: Creative Workshops Norfolk
- Rachael at REEF Make & Do
- May 16
- 3 min read
Creative workshops in Norfolk are not about being perfect; they are about curiosity, play, experimentation, and giving yourself permission to make something without needing to know exactly where it is going.
I spent yesterday covered in inks, glue, acrylic paint, scraps of paper, and it was absolutely wonderful.
I was taking part in a mixed media workshop with the fabulous Ros Copping, and for several hours we layered paper, experimented with image transfers, played with mark making, added washes of colour, scratched back through surfaces, stuck things down, painted over them again, and generally made a glorious mess.
Some ideas worked beautifully. Some really did not.
And honestly, that was part of the joy of it.
There was something so freeing about sitting down with no expectation of getting it right. No pressure to produce a masterpiece. Or worse still, all churn out the same thing. Just permission to try things out, experiment, and see what happens.
I think many of us lose touch with that as adults.
Children are naturally brilliant at experimenting. They cut things up, stick things together, paint over things, change their minds halfway through, and rarely worry whether the result is good. Somewhere along the way, though, many of us become cautious. We stop ourselves before we have even begun.
“I am not artistic.”
“I would not know what I was doing.”
“I am probably not very good at that sort of thing.”
But workshops are not really about being good at something.
They are about allowing yourself to be curious again.
About trying something new simply because it interests you. About spending a few hours making without worrying whether it is productive, useful, or perfect. And often, somewhere in the middle of all that experimenting and playing, something shifts.
You stop concentrating on whether you are doing it properly and start enjoying yourself instead.
I saw it happen again and again during Ros’s mixed media workshop. People layering papers in ways they had not planned. Unexpected marks becoming the most interesting part of the piece. Someone holding up their work and saying, slightly surprised, “Oh, I actually really love that.”
Not because it was perfect, but because it was theirs.
And perhaps that is the real magic of creative workshops. Not the finished outcome, but the reminder that you are still allowed to play, experiment, and make things just for the joy of it.
Over the next few weeks there are some very lovely opportunities to do exactly that.
Anne Brooke’s two mixed media textile workshops ( here and here ) are full of playful experimentation, layering fabrics, paint, stitch, mark making, and texture in wonderfully freeing and unexpected ways. They are the sort of workshops where you stop worrying about whether something is right and start discovering ideas you would never have planned in advance. If you have been thinking about booking either of Anne’s workshops, now really is the time, as we need a few more people to go ahead. The deadline is Monday, and I would honestly hate for anyone to miss the chance to experience these workshops.
There is also the opportunity to create beautifully imperfect silver clay leaves with Nick Wellband, experimenting with texture and form to make pieces that feel organic, individual, and quietly magical. Nick joined us at Ros’s workshop yesterday, and it felt very fitting spending time with another artist who so clearly values experimentation and process over perfection.
And if you are drawn to nature, colour, and happy unpredictability, Marian May’s Botanical Printing workshop offers the chance to explore a process where every single leaf and flower produces something slightly different. There is always an element of surprise, and that is very much part of the joy.
None of them require you to be good at art.
You just need a little curiosity and the willingness to begin.
That is it from me this week. I hope that you found some inspriation here to bravely try out some more experimental, freeing workshops too... even if it makes you a little nervous. You won't regret it: I promise!
Warmest wishes,
Rachael x
Do get in touch if you have any questions for me or need some help with chooing a workshop. I am always on hand to help if you need it.
You can explore all the upcoming creative workshops in Norfolk, courses, and weekly classes on the Reef Make & Do website 👉 here
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Workshops mentioned in this week's blog:
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