I decided to take an asynchronous creative writing class this spring, just for fun. I've taken several amazing classes from Firefly Creative Writing in the past (highly recommend!), but I decided to branch out a bit and try a new writing school with an asynchronous format, since my schedule is wonky right now.
The first week didn't go well. The course platform was either broken or remarkably unintuitive. The first assignment felt vague. The other people in the class, who were mostly returning students, didn't comment on anyone else's posts. The instructor feedback also didn't land for me.
If just one of these things had been off, it probably wouldn't have mattered. If I had already had great experiences with other classes from this writing school, I might have been more inclined to ride it out.
But, as it is, I've decided to let it go. I'm at a point where I don't want to troubleshoot something that's meant to be fun. Lesson learned, moving on. Nothing against the school, and it's just not for me, at least right now.
I think the same thing can be true for new clients, new students, new people coming into our orbits. The first few experiences someone has with you matter quite a lot. If it's hard to sign up, if the client can't easily find/complete the forms, if your first email seems brusque or robotic, that can color the entire experience.
This has me reviewing how I'm welcoming people into my programs and practice, updating little things to see if I can make the experience smoother and more friendly. Maybe it's a good time for you to double-check, too?
Take care,
Camille
