UPCOMING WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS
Fast Forward: A Workshop for Artistic Agency and Momentum
Saturday, June 6, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. PST
Live Zoom only, no replay!
Limited to 15 participants – to sign up, click the “Register for Fast Forward” button on this page.
If you’ve ever felt super excited about an idea for a creative project, but worn out by the energy it takes to begin (or got stuck in the “messy middle”), this hands-on, interactive workshop will show you why that happens and what you can do about it.
You’ll learn:
• why ideas feel energizing, but producing them takes more effort than we anticipate
• why our brain starts chattering at us when we're at each new step in a project
• a framework that supports you to create and present work with more ease.
You’ll leave with clarity on your next steps, with practical tools that empower you to move past the place(s) where you usually stop.
This workshop might be the perfect fit if:
• you’re a visual/performing artist, writer, or musician
• bringing your ideas into the world is often slower or more difficult that you thought it would be
• you experience a lot of chatter (doubts, worries, endless questions) in your head when you go to make your creative work
• you’ve been doing this for a while now and wonder, “Is this process EVER going to get easier?”
This workshop might NOT be a good fit if:
• you’ve never avoided or abandoned a project, only to look back years later and think, “That was a great idea, why didn’t I move it forward?”
• you’re not able to attend the entire workshop. Hey, I understand that folks are busy! But you won’t get what you came for, and there are no replays.
• you’re looking for an AI shortcut. I can’t help you with that.
Cost:
$80 if you register by April 30
$90 if you register between May 1 and May 21
$100 if you register between May 22 and June 5
Register using the buttons on this page, or go to: https://portal.beangilsdorfcoaching.com/public/appointment-scheduler/69726ea9c5ecd052be4fdbb4/schedule
Refunds and AI Bots:
If you're not able to attend, you must inform me by email at bean(at)beangilsdorf(dot)com by June 5, 2026, at 9 a.m. PST. I'll refund your registration fee minus Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ processing fee. No refunds will be granted after the stated time. Please note that I do not allow AI bot attendance on your behalf; if you send a bot, it will be removed from the workshop.
About Bean:
I’m an award-winning artist and writer (Fulbright Fellow, Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grantee, Oregon Arts Commission Fellow, etc.) with an MFA in Studio Art from the California College of the Arts. I know the trials and tribulations of a creative practice firsthand! I’m also an ICF-certified coach with a degree in Cognitive Science from the University of Colorado, and I love to support my fellow artists to make the contributions that they’re here to make.
What workshop participants say:
“I loved the step by step tools you shared that I can immediately put to use in my daily practice. I also appreciated how you were able to discuss what happens in our brains in very simple and easy to understand ways.”
“I genuinely thought everything was neatly done: the time to listen to each other and ponder over our answers; the time to diagram and elaborate on ideas; the way the ideas were tangible and thoroughly explained; the prompts and mostly your energy with the group: that most of all, allows for our open-heartedness.”
“A wonderful group of creatives in the class that I felt solidarity with.”
“This workshop taught me to break down big challenges into small steps and an awareness that I’m on the right path. Thank you for these helpful tools.”
“Wonderful and inspiring! I love and need the reminders that other artists also exist in a world of self-determination and self-imposed deadlines... sometimes I get caught up in a delusion that it's just me!”
“I appreciated the breakdown of our brain, the science behind it all. I liked learning that it’s okay to hear those inner critic thoughts & move past them.”
“It was great and I loved the content!! Loved the structure, the outline up front and tools at the end. The middle section was GENIUS.”
“You rock, Bean!!! Thank you so much. This was so actionable and helpful. ”
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Yes! To make the most of our time together, you can:
• clear a comfortable space to be present, take notes, and participate
• close other tabs and turn off notifications
• bring a notebook and pen
• make sure you have some drinks/snacks at hand. We’ll take a lunch break, too. -
This is a hands-on workshop and we’ll be discussing the materials and doing Q & A throughout. Please note that having all participants visible helps me see how the information is landing, so I will ask that everyone turn on their camera.
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You’ll learn why ideas are energizing but always seem to takes more time and energy than we anticipate, and why we tend to ruminate on all the things that could go wrong. We’ll look at what we can do about it, so that you can:
• be 100% clear on your direction
• move forward in a way that is authentic
• keep your promises to yourself
• show up to your life the way you would love to, consistently
• meet the challenges of being an artist openly and wholeheartedly, even when you feel vulnerable. -
Fast Forward goes beyond “interesting insights” that you’ll never put into practice—instead, you’ll leave with an actionable plan in hand, ready to take the next sweet steps forward on your path!
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Not specifically. This workshop is for any artist who wants to move forward with their practice/career with more ease. We could all use a boost, even when we’re not currently feeling stuck!
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Yes, we’ll have brief personal comfort breaks throughout, and a break for lunch in the middle.
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We all have places where we usually slow down, get stuck, or stop. You might call it “procrastination” or “avoidance” on things like starting a new project, finishing a piece, testing out materials, submitting an application, or sending an email.
Fast Forward will show you how to go past the places where you usually stop—and how to do it with a bit of elegance instead of having to muscle your way through. You’ll learn that there’s not some kind of inner saboteur at work when you have doubts, anxieties, or bouts of procrastination, it’s just your brain trying to keep you safe! We’ll look at how to move forward with self-compassion and grace, even when it feels like there’s something in the way.
The result is that you’ll avoid exhaustion and burnout. You won’t be yet another artist with regrets who gets to the end of their life and says, “I was really good, I wish I’d played all-out for my goals.” Instead, you’ll see how to take sweet steps forward, consistently, no matter what comes up along the way.
This workshop will support you to shape a practice that’s conducted on your own terms, produce your work with more ease, bring it into the world with confidence, and find satisfaction and fulfillment even in the face of challenges.