The Future of EduKink
I know it may seem a bit soon to be discussing this, but several people have asked me outright, and quite a few more have speculated online.
EduKink will continue, though perhaps not to the extent it could have when it was the "Iain and Angela" show (as it was sometimes jokingly called).
Initially, I will stick with the Newcomers Series, because those are the classes which will be easiest to continue on a solo basis. This is the reason why you still see dates for the Newcomers Series on the calendar -- including the upcoming "Kinky Dating" class scheduled for Thursday, September 5th, at SF Citadel.
Since I work in San Francisco, and live in the East Bay, classes which require schlepping bins and bins of toys/equipment/materials would be quite challenging, to say the least. Until I can figure out a way to make that happen, I have put the Paideia series on hiatus, and the dates have been removed from the calendar.
That's being said, there are a few of the playshops in the Paideia series which appear to be perennial favorites (such as the chocolate playshop in February), so I would really like to continue to offer them on at least an occasional basis. Plus, I have already had offers from several people in the community who are willing to help me continue to offer other playshops, so Paideia may return at some point in a more collaborative form.
When I mentioned continuing to offer EduKink classes, a very good friend gently asked me whether I was doing this because I felt like I had some kind of obligation to the community or to Iain's memory.
A dear friend at Janus once said something about continuing to give yourself to something only as long as it both fills a need and feeds you. I still feel a strong sense of gratitude for everything that I have had in my life due to being a member of the San Francisco leather/kink/BDSM/fetish community, and I still feel a strong desire to "give back" in any way I can. So, yes, this is a reason I would continue, but it isn't the only reason.
It is true that I have some sense of wanting to continue this as part of Iain's legacy. It is a way I can continue to honor the knowledge I gained by his side -- but it, too, isn't the only reason.
In my life, I have always been an educator, both in my professional vocation, and by natural inclination. Teaching feeds me in a way that is hard to explain, but something I have recognized for myself, nonetheless. When people have asked why Iain and I have stayed with it for so long ... well, I guess there's your answer.
Because it feeds me, I feel it is something I need to do for me. When the day comes that I feel it's time to stop, I promise that I will gladly hand the baton off to someone else. But in the meantime, you'll still see the EduKink Newcomers Series listed on first Thursdays on the calendar.
So, if you know any newcomers who might benefit, feel free to send them. Oh, and if you wanted to come, too, I'd love to see you there.
EduKink will continue, though perhaps not to the extent it could have when it was the "Iain and Angela" show (as it was sometimes jokingly called).
Initially, I will stick with the Newcomers Series, because those are the classes which will be easiest to continue on a solo basis. This is the reason why you still see dates for the Newcomers Series on the calendar -- including the upcoming "Kinky Dating" class scheduled for Thursday, September 5th, at SF Citadel.
Since I work in San Francisco, and live in the East Bay, classes which require schlepping bins and bins of toys/equipment/materials would be quite challenging, to say the least. Until I can figure out a way to make that happen, I have put the Paideia series on hiatus, and the dates have been removed from the calendar.
That's being said, there are a few of the playshops in the Paideia series which appear to be perennial favorites (such as the chocolate playshop in February), so I would really like to continue to offer them on at least an occasional basis. Plus, I have already had offers from several people in the community who are willing to help me continue to offer other playshops, so Paideia may return at some point in a more collaborative form.
When I mentioned continuing to offer EduKink classes, a very good friend gently asked me whether I was doing this because I felt like I had some kind of obligation to the community or to Iain's memory.
A dear friend at Janus once said something about continuing to give yourself to something only as long as it both fills a need and feeds you. I still feel a strong sense of gratitude for everything that I have had in my life due to being a member of the San Francisco leather/kink/BDSM/fetish community, and I still feel a strong desire to "give back" in any way I can. So, yes, this is a reason I would continue, but it isn't the only reason.
It is true that I have some sense of wanting to continue this as part of Iain's legacy. It is a way I can continue to honor the knowledge I gained by his side -- but it, too, isn't the only reason.
In my life, I have always been an educator, both in my professional vocation, and by natural inclination. Teaching feeds me in a way that is hard to explain, but something I have recognized for myself, nonetheless. When people have asked why Iain and I have stayed with it for so long ... well, I guess there's your answer.
Because it feeds me, I feel it is something I need to do for me. When the day comes that I feel it's time to stop, I promise that I will gladly hand the baton off to someone else. But in the meantime, you'll still see the EduKink Newcomers Series listed on first Thursdays on the calendar.
So, if you know any newcomers who might benefit, feel free to send them. Oh, and if you wanted to come, too, I'd love to see you there.