It turned into travel, connection, and a life I didn’t expect.
Welcome to the business side of Notes from the Studio
When I first started teaching, I thought I was signing up for a little extra income.
A few weekends here and there.
A workshop.
A guild meeting.
A check at the end.
What I didn’t realize was what it would open.
I stayed with a couple in Ontario who were avid gardeners and birders. From their guest bedroom, I could hear him upstairs at night listening to frog calls, trying to identify each one. In the morning, we drank tea and talked about plants and seasons and the simplicity of a life well lived.
In Georgia, I stayed with a woman who had a pottery studio next to her quilt studio. We sat on her porch overlooking a forest and drank tea while the light filtered through the trees.
In San Diego, I stayed on a property with citrus trees and macadamia nuts. I flew home with a suitcase full of grapefruits, oranges, lemons — and a new tea I had never tried before.
In Arizona, I booked one guild… and then built a whole circuit.
My husband and I flew into Phoenix, rented a car, and drove through the desert — not realizing that desert beauty is the kind that seeps into your bones and never leaves.
One night we drove up a winding mountain road at sunset toward a glittering speck on the hillside.
Jerome.
A tiny, quirky, haunted old mining town clinging to the side of a mountain.
Art galleries.
Stories.
Magic in the air.
We still talk about that trip.
Another year, we built a New Mexico circuit and brought our son. A family road trip wrapped around guild teaching.
I thought I was creating income.
What I was actually creating was a life.
Here’s what I want you to see:
Teaching isn’t just: “teach a workshop.”
It’s:
– Confidence you can feel in your body
– Rooms full of women lighting up
– Contracts booked months (even years) ahead
– Income you can plan on
– Creative energy that multiplies instead of drains
– Places you would never have gone
– People you would never have met
And yes — for the logical side of your brain:
This isn’t reckless.
It isn’t naive.
It isn’t a gamble.
It’s a structured path.
But underneath the logic…
There’s a quieter question.
What could this open?
What if you stood at the front and watched someone else’s face light up because of something you shared?
What if you built relationships in places you’ve never been?
What if this became the thing you look back on and say,
“That changed my life.”
And if it doesn’t?
You’ve learned.
You’ve grown.
You’ve made your money back.
You’ve tried something brave.
But if it does…
It could open doors you haven’t even imagined yet.
This isn’t pressure.
It’s an invitation.
Warmly,
Shannon
P.S. If you’re interested in becoming a quilt/craft teacher, keep an eye out for emails from me, as we’ll be opening up Earlybird Enrollment for our 2026 Certified Teacher Program soon!
If you missed the last email, I shared a bit more context here.
Responses