The Amazings

What are The Amazings?

“They are billed the Amazings: a band of men and women fighting against the idea that older people should go quietly towards the dying of the light.” (The Independent)

Sound interesting? Well, it is.  The Amazings is a company that has been set up to provide classes, courses and wisdom from elders with amazing life experience. What a great concept. You can either go to a very reasonably priced course run by an elder, or you can join an online class that includes video tutorials led by the elder that you can follow from the comfort of your own home. You also have the ability to email questions, if you have any. There are many different crafts to choose from: heirloom quilting, woodwork, photography, French bread making, story-telling, up-cycling, book binding – the list is endless!

”There’s nothing better than learning from someone who has a lifetime of experience, sharing shortcuts that you won’t find in most books or websites, and dropping in little stories that make the learning experience really special.” (Adil Abrar – Co-Founder of The Amazings)

My grandmother was very good at sewing and small upholstery projects; I really wish I had made the most of her experience and learnt from her, but sadly she died before I realised my love of crafts. I think that’s one of the reasons I like the concept so much.

Amazing elder – Josefina

The Amazings team very kindly granted me access to their online classes to try one out. I chose the ‘Make your own mosaics flower pot’ online class with Amazing elder, Josefina. Josefina has been making tile mosaics for nearly thirty years and is a lifelong artist originally from Barcelona, the home of Gaudi, King of mosaics. With so much experience, Josefina was bound to know the tips and techniques that standard instructions don’t give you. The class was broken up into four episodes that lasted for twenty minutes in total. The fact that the class was broken into four clear steps was very helpful as when you are crafting it is important to be able to plan ahead. Josefina’s passion and energy shone through in the videos, which in itself was inspiring and being able to see each step made the project so much easier. She also added humour and stories that made it fun and relaxed.

“…gives over 50s the chance to do something they enjoy while ensuring old traditions and skills don’t die out.” (Daily Mail)

This type of learning suits me down to the ground as beginning new projects or learning new crafts can be a bit daunting; being able to watch the process and someone talking you through the stages with enthusiasm made the process really enjoyable. It is not often that you have access to someone with such vast experience and I love the fact that if you have problems you can contact them and ask questions directly.

I’m in the middle of making my pot – it’s one of those crafts that you can do slowly and in stages if you want to, which I find very relaxing….

I will share my finished pot next week.

Share and share alike

When you sign up to The Amazings website, you get three classes that you can share with friends and family for free. Check out my Twitter page and Facebook page as I have unlimited classes to share for free with you!

 

Such an inspiring organisation…make sure you check it out. A big thank you to The Amazings team x