Welcome, fellow creative being!

I know why you’re here

You’re searching for your place in the art world. Your career is at a standstill but you have no idea how to move forward. You’re feeling isolated in your work but have no place to go for feedback or creative stimulus. Or maybe money issues and/or lack of professional resources are interfering with your ability to create art. Sometimes it feels like you’re lost in the wilderness, right?

Rejoice! You’ve come to the right place!

Join the group

Artists of all disciplines share a unique set of goals and obstacles, and you’re no different. In an a2a guided peer group, you’ll be part a group of up to 10 participants — artists of all disciplines — who meet monthly for three, six or nine months. You’ll work as a group with your experienced facilitator who can help you find your way around those seemingly impossible obstacles.

It’s all about you!

Tell us what you need and we’ll help you find it

An a2a peer group is all about helping connect you with the information, resources and support you need. Typically, we cover topics such as:

But this is by no means a complete list! Have a question or problem? Pose it to the group. Have an experience or idea that could help someone else? Don’t keep it to yourself.

You can get there from here!

You don’t have to do it alone

Guided by your knowledgeable and resourceful facilitator, you’ll set goals, discuss the concrete steps necessary to reach them, and also share your own ideas and suggestions with your fellow artists.

Between sessions, you’ll work on making the changes and taking the steps you discussed to bring you closer to your goals. Accountability is an important feature of a2a: you can create personised goals to work towards in the peer group context, helping to overcome built-in obstacles such as time management, lack of direction, prioritizing, and procrastination. What’s more, you’ll benefit from the supportive feedback and experience of others in your group.

Getting there is half the fun!

Variety is the spice of, well, everything

If you’re a painter, for example, don’t be surprised if you’re learning and sharing with musicians, papermakers, dancers and silversmiths. This cross-discipline “pollination” sparks creative problem-solving, not to mention exciting and innovative artistic and professional collaborations. You’ll discover new ways to create, share, explore and profit from your art. And you’ll find the journey can be as rewarding as the destination.

Start your journey today!

Creative success and satisfaction await you!

Call or e-mail us to find out more about applying to a2a guided peer group. Or download our application form. If you are selected for an a2a peer group, we’ll carefully select amongst your peers those whose interests and abilities compliment yours.

The a2a philosophy

Each a2a guided peer group is different because each one is based on the experiences, goals and needs of its participants. You are the driving force behind a2a. Your facilitator is guided by your questions and suggestions, and structures the discussion and exercises around them. You’ll be able to draw inspiration and support from your fellow artists, share your own hard-earned pearls of wisdom AND learn valuable skills and strategies from an experienced professional teacher and mentor. We all succeed when we share our skills, talents and passions. And we grow our community in the process.

Susan Schear Biography Click to view in your browser, or right-click to download.