Pop-up classes teach participants new skills, make new friends, and maybe improve their mental health.
By Kayla Byrd
What’s something you’ve always wanted to try, but never got around to doing? Maybe the idea of picking up a paintbrush and turning a blank canvas into a masterpiece always appealed to you. Or maybe you watched your grandmother sew beautiful garments and dreamed of doing the same one day.
Without the proper tools, knowledge or support, most people will never take the first step needed to pursue their creative endeavors. But what if there was less pressure in trying out new hobbies? A way to sculpt without buying a pottery wheel; or bake without ending up with burnt scraps.
Across the city, pop-up classes have provided neighborhoods from Riverside to Jacksonville Beach a low-stakes way to discover new passions. With a diverse range of opportunities taught by masters of their craft, it’s never been easier to learn without fear of failure.
I recently attended a cookie decorating class in Murray Hill led by Danielle Philipp-Edmonds from Little Red Cottage Cookies. After grabbing a coffee, included with my class ticket, I found myself sitting amongst a small group ready to learn. Luckily for me, all our tools were prepped and ready, so I wouldn’t have to make a mess trying to pour icing or cut out cookie shapes.
I grew up baking cookies and cakes with my own grandmother, and though our treats were buttery and sweet, they never looked half as good as they tasted. This class was a chance for me to finally channel my inner Great British Bake Off contestant and decorate a “showstopper” of my own. Danielle led a very thorough class that detailed every step of the decorating process. She made sure to observe everyone’s techniques and troubleshoot when our cute Halloween bats turned into shapeless blobs.
“My goal with the classes is community, connection and cookies,” Danielle explains. “A lot of people come in big groups or come with family, friends or coworkers, and you see them bonding in ways that they wouldn’t normally, because they’re doing a creative hobby that neither of them is adept at. But lately, too, I’ve been seeing a lot more people come by themselves, just wanting to do something for them, have some time to zone out and do something creative. You get both dynamics.”
It’s no coincidence that these classes are filled with enthusiastic faces, ready to learn and eager to meet new people. With more and more classes targeted towards students of all ages, a bored 20-something-year-old like me can find herself alongside 16- and 60-year-olds laughing and chatting like old friends. None of us experts, all of us willing to lend our tablemates a hand.
Devona Fisher, founder of Groovy Club, spoke about the community she’s seen in her own pop-up sewing classes. “Right now, we all need that community, which is what inspired me to keep doing classes after I did my first two last year. Everybody left so happy and was so excited to learn something new, but also to be in an environment where you could just relax and have fun. There was no pressure to do or be anything. Everybody there was new at something. It was like, we’re all in this together.”
Devona teaches upcycling, sewing and hemming all around Jacksonville. She leads creative classes that show students how to make wine totes, pillows and aprons all in their own style, as well as instructional classes on sewing machine basics. Her workshops follow a similar format to Danielle’s. Partnering up with a local business, they help promote different breweries, coffeeshops, bars and boutiques. For people attending the class, this could be the excuse to finally try a coffee from the trendy shop around the corner or browse the shelves of a boutique they hadn’t stepped foot in prior.
While these classes show overwhelming support for local businesses and artists, they also support you. “This creative outlet for your mental health is almost like a sneaky meditation where you’re kind of forced into this really focused, calm state,” says Melissa Noeth, founder of The Art House. She centered the foundation of her art classes around personal mental health availability following the isolation of the pandemic. One of her goals for her studio is to encourage artists to start creating despite the feeling that they may not be good enough. “It’s not always about making something that you want to hang on your wall or that you love in the end. It’s the experience of doing it and the joy of sitting and doing it.”
Though many of us choose to take a class to leave with a box of scrumptious cookies, or a charming bowl for loose change and jewelry, it’s truly more about the experience. Whether you’re in it to learn a new skill, make a new friend or just get out of your own head for a few hours, you can always pop into one of the many classes around Jacksonville. No equipment or training required.
