Join certified Inward & Artward facilitators Alli Marshall and J. Faye D’Avanza for Germination Station: Planning & Producing Creative Workshops, an eight-week series for arts-based entrepreneurs ready to launch or grow educational offerings. The course provides practical tools as well as support and a community of peers. It is offered through Story Parlor’s Inward & Artward School of Creativity.

The series begins with the Toolshed workshops for the beginner to seasoned facilitator, offering practical skill-based learning such as finding community event spaces, pitching creative offerings, imposter syndrome and self-promotion, along with marketing and community outreach.

The Germination Station series also includes the Tending workshops — four group artist dates (inspired by The Artist’s Way) learning from community arts entrepreneurs and with time for guided activities, discussions, show and tell, and the sharing of resources to encourage support and accountability to solopreneurs.

Germination Station is for entrepreneurs in the Western North Carolina community working in arts-based fields such as visual arts, writing, music, craft, and healing modalities. It’s especially geared toward those who have completed the Inward & Artward Creative Facilitator training (through Story Parlor) and would like more support in developing workshop offerings and launching or growing their businesses.

Our goal is to nurture a support network for facilitators and arts-based entrepreneurs who are designing and leading workshops as part of their offerings. We aim to provide a means of connection, accountability, coaching, and ongoing educational and business-related resources.

Workshop Dates, Topics, and Location:

• The course runs Thursdays, 6-8 p.m.
• April 2-May 21, 2026.

Toolshed classes (practical skills) will be held online via Zoom.

• April 2–Unearthing Your Ideal Gathering Spaces + Nurturing Community Relations
  
• April 16–Pitch Your Creative Offering Like a Pro + Mini Pitch Lab
• April 30–You’re Booked, Now What?! Working through Imposter Syndrome in Self-Promotion + Creating Your Media Kit
• May 14–Marketing as a Creative Practice of Community Outreach + Mini Media Kit Lab

Tending classes (artist dates and discussions) will meet at various locations in Asheville such as coffee shops, co-working spaces, studios, and galleries.

Exact locations TBA on April 9 and 23, and May 7 and 21

Cost:

• $280 for the full 8-week series (Toolshed and Tending workshops)
• $200 for Toolshed workshops only (4 weeks only)
• 10% discount to certified Inward & Artward facilitators ($252 for full 8-week series or $180 for Toolshed workshops only)

Who is this For:

• Entrepreneurs in the Western North Carolina community working in arts-based fields such as visual arts, writing, music, craft, and healing modalities who are developing workshop offerings and launching or growing their businesses through a network of peers.
• Inward & Artward Creative Facilitators (alumni or current students) who would like more support in developing workshop offerings and launching or growing their businesses through a network of peers.

About the Facilitators:

J. Faye D’Avanza, MSLIS—is a writer and the founder of Library of Care, creative empowerment coaching and facilitation with a relational and somatic approach to living a whole creative life. After experiencing chronic burnout from a career as a public librarian, it led to a mid-life dark night of the soul which later became her biggest catalyst for growth and creative healing. She is the author of the newsletter, Keeping Creative Time, an Inward & Artward certified creative facilitator, a certified book editor, and a (RYT-200) yoga teacher-in-training who lives among the artists, tourists, trees, and mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, where she can often be found drinking a matcha latte, writing in the margins of her books, and engaging in meandering conversations with people who care deeply. Connect with Faye at jfayedavanza.com.

Alli Marshall— A certified Inward & Artward Creative Facilitator, Alli Marshall aims to follow her curiosity and inspire connection to creativity in others. Alli received her MFA in creative writing from Goddard College and has taught writing courses through Story Parlor, Great Smokies Writing Program, Flatiron Writers Room, and Revolve. She periodically offers her immersive experience, “Speed Dating with Trees.” Alli is the author of the novel How to Talk to Rockstars. Connect with her at alli-marshall.com.