Have you ever sat down with a paper, a brush, and some black ink, only to find that you just can’t move? There are many people who can relate if this describes you. To the average person, The Tingology ink painting looks like something only “naturals” do. But word of a new art education course is spreading like wildfire, and it’s captivating everyone from veteran instructors to their most outgoing students.

This place will be known as the Ink Spark Workshop. Imagine you’re just starting out and your first brushstroke is a total mess. Overly thick and unsteady. You let out a wheeze. On the other hand, the teacher offers some advice in a voice that is both encouraging and slightly playful. Your next line will flow like a calm river the second you relax your grip and adjust the angle of your wrist. Small, actionable input that sticks is the key. The kind that becomes automatic as you use them.

Teachers of art, who are notoriously harsh critics, were engrossed. It had been a long time since Sally, a high school teacher with experience, had felt this kind of pressure. Her laughter betrayed her ignorance of the ways ink may surprise her. Soft washes, broken lines, and ways for blending ink that felt like watercolor were all skills she discovered in the course that she hadn’t before explored. Every session is a chaotic mess of unorthodox experiments and novel textures.

There isn’t a rigid code of conduct that distinguishes the Ink Spark Workshop. It’s a recreational area. Their message is to let go and allow the ink do the talking. No snooping; just friendly prodding, tales of illustrious ink painters from Japan and China, and belly laughs at clumsy beginnings. I am not afraid of group critiques. Looks more like a group of pals sharing ghost tales.

It has to do with more than just technique. “Discover your own voice,” they say. A pine tree might be the object of your imitation one week. The next thing you know, you’re making up black monsters that resemble your grouchy morning neighbor. Despite how strange it may sound, even the most stringent educators relished the opportunity to fail—and fail again.

Branches, toothbrushes, and leaves are some of the tools that you might observe someone employing. “Whatever leaves an impression!” the educator says in jest. Even mistakes can become works of art. In this non-sterile setting, everyone celebrates serendipitous events.

Keep things relatable with short videos that feature real human mistakes. There is never a dull moment on the course. Even ink seasoned pros are made to feel at home. With a penchant for memes and an eagerness to share each once-ugly duckling-turned-swan, the community is chatty and enthusiastic.

After they’ve finished with their students, many art professors incorporate it into their own lessons. Children supposedly overcome their fears and begin to try more. Images of students’ messy experiments on napkins, outdated assignments, and even white T-shirts make it beyond the classroom and into the lessons’ echoes.

Is that all? If you’re ready to take your painting to the next level and escape the confines of traditional, line-based techniques, this course is for you. You’re going to have a great time, laugh a lot, and perhaps even make something beautiful that you can hang on your fridge. Many art educators still can’t believe it and wish they had enrolled sooner. Keep your eye on the brush.