The FREE Fodder Challenge 2023

Fodder Challenge FAQs

What is the FREE Fodder Challenge?

The Fodder Challenge is a series of free, online mixed media + collage art lessons on Willa Workshops.

Each day for 12 days beginning on July 10th, one new lesson will be available for all registered participants.

Once registered, you will have access to the Fodder Challenge 2023 in my Teachable school, Willa Workshops.

Each day during the challenge when a new lesson drops, you will receive an email from me alerting you that there is a new lesson available for you.

I don't have a lot (or any) experience with mixed media art but I do have the desire to create art and craft. Is this challenge for me?

The Fodder Challenge is for anyone with a desire to play with art. If you love color, texture, paint, paper and glue, this is for you.

Making art has serious health benefits too. If you are looking for an escape from your worries, creating collage fodder and making mixed media art is an amazing, reliable, fun way to regulate an overstimulated nervous system.

All Fodder Challenge and Fodder School lessons are appropriate for beginners as well as more experienced artists. While mixed media art may seem very mysterious to the untrained eye, once the secrets to making it are exposed, anyone can be a mixed media artist (no special natural talent or skill required!)

What is “collage fodder?”

The most basic definition of collage fodder is any material (paper, fabric, metal . . . anything!) that can be used in the creation of a mixed media art collage or 3D project. Collage fodder can be collected (think old vintage book pages or ticket stubs) or handmade (think gelli prints or handmade patterned papers).

What supplies do I need?

A complete supply list for all 12 Fodder Challenge 2023 lessons will be available at the end of June and you will receive an email alert about that if you register before then.

Mixed media art is a supply heavy hobby, and many mixed media artists love collecting art supplies as much as they love creating art. But that doesn't mean that you cannot make due with what you already have and build your stash of supplies slowly over years, like we did. The important thing is just to start . . . somewhere.

Pick a project from the Fodder Challenge and get the supplies for that project. Don't think that you need to make all twelve projects in the Fodder Challenge in order to get a lot out of it. Just watching many of them and doing some of them will be a wonderful introduction into the world of mixed media art!

Fodder Challenge Student Work

What if I can't complete a small project each day for twelve days straight?

No problem! Do what you can. There's no right or wrong way to do this and there's no such thing as too little. It's up to you to watch as many lessons as you want and to complete as many projects as you have the time for and the will to do.

How long will I have access to these lessons?

The free access will end on August 4, 2023 (two weeks after the FREE Fodder Challenge 2023 lessons finish dropping into the classroom).

If you decide to enroll in Fodder School 3, the Fodder Challenge 2023 lessons will become part of your FS3 classroom curriculum (so you will have lifetime access).

Is there a place where I can share my work?

Please post photos of your completed projects to Instagram and use the hashtag #fodderchallenge

Can I film myself doing Fodder School or Fodder Content lessons and then share my video on YouTube, Instagram or other social media, giving Fodder School credit?

No. While individual, single techniques in mixed media art are generally "out there" already, the sequence of techniques, particular tools and supplies, as taught by a teacher in a unique project in Fodder School or Fodder Challenge is their intellectual property and cannot be replicated by anyone without express written permission, even if you give proper credit.

Is there a place where I can ask questions?

There is a comments section for questions and comments for each lesson on the Teachable platform.

Can I download the videos?

The videos are not downloadable, but you can access them at any time from the Teachable platform.

Is there closed captioning?

Not for Fodder Challenge, but there is closed captioning in English for Fodder School lessons.

More Fodder Challenge Student Work

What is Fodder School?

Fodder School is the first and only year long online course dedicated solely to the making and using of handmade collage fodder in mixed media art projects . Each year of Fodder School here are 12 teachers who will provide two sets of lessons during their month of instruction.

The lessons are structured as follows:

On the first of each month, a group of lessons on collage fodder creation is released from a new teacher.

On the fifteenth of each month, a new set of lessons on using collage fodder in a big project from the teacher of the month is released.

Is Fodder School for beginners who are new to mixed media?

Yes, this is a great place for beginners as well as more experienced artists. Each lesson is explained in detail and with the understanding that there are students who have little to no mixed media experience. There are also many opportunities for those who have more experience or who are more adventurous to take the lessons and build on them. 

When does Fodder School begin?

Fodder School 3 will begin on October 1, 2023.

Can I watch the lessons at any time? Are they prerecorded or live? 

All Fodder Challenge and Fodder School content is prerecorded and available for you to watch at your convenience. You can work at your own pace. 

How long will I have to watch the videos?

For Fodder Challenge, see above.

For all Fodder School years, you get lifetime access to the lessons, which means for the lifetime of Willa Workshops or the viability of the technology. What this means in this industry is that you will have many, many years to access this content if you purchase it, but it won’t be forever and ever. Technology becomes obsolete and courses can become unsupportable after many years.

More Fodder Challenge Student Work