Creating with Courage with Clarissa Callesen

This course completely transformed my current creative journey, and I feel a deeper connection to who I am as an artist. I see possibilities at every turn, and the need to experiment constantly bubbles to the surface. There’s a new feeling of digging deep and feeling alive when I create now… This course was pure magic.

– Cindy Curby

I came in with a lack of inspiration, and you’ve re-ignited the fire to create, giving me a myriad of different ideas and concepts swirling in my head. You’ve helped me forge ahead with my own vision.

– Martina Edmondson

This course has given me the courage and inspiration to explore new ways of being creative, using materials that have been in storage for 30 years. I have learned to transform recycled materials and assemble them into a wild and wonderful sculpture.

- Penny Brown

This course has taught me to be a textile ‘alchemist,’ transforming the surface of textiles with multiple techniques, inventing forms, layering them, and incorporating found objects. I have transformed from being cautiously curious to giving anything a go! The textile pieces I created combine new techniques with a dash of my own sense of humour.

- Deirdre Bruen

This experience has opened so many 'what ifs' for me. I feel that my work has so much more depth and complexity. The manipulation of fabric to transform it through eco and rust dye has enabled me to create a colour palette that I have always admired. I’ve always worked intuitively, but Clarissa’s greatest lesson to me is the go-for-it attitude and that there are no rules. It was a life-changing course.

- Ann Vollum

This changed my life and provided a medium I’ve never worked with, but one that embodies everything I love. Especially after the era of the lockdown, this class opened so many doors for exploration, seeing, and endless creativity. When I saw Clarissa talk about this class, it sparked me to want to try something else, rather than always thinking I needed to *only* be a painter. I feel like I’ve been reborn and given a new adventure to explore.

- Eunice Rieken

I now look at my work and think, “Wow, I made sculptures that tug at my heart and make me FEEL something.” It’s something I’ve wanted to explore in my practice for so long.

– Cindy Curby

Just saying thank you seems so inadequate for a gift that changes your life, as an artist and human, so profoundly! Your voice, your insight, and your humanity as our guide will be carried with me always!

– Chris Carlson

The secret to feeling truly alive in your work

It’s not about doing what you’re told, it’s about doing what feels true. It begins when you stop trying to fit the mould and start creating from a place that’s entirely your own.

When you give yourself permission to be messy. To make mistakes. To take risks and rewrite the rules.

Because in a world of fast fashion and flawless feeds, where 92 million tonnes of textile waste overflows landfills every year...

We don’t need more perfection. We need more honesty. More individuality. More you.

The only course designed to help you silence your inner critic, tap into your truest form of originality, and challenge your limitations of creative discovery... All while taking a powerful stance on our industry’s biggest crisis: Textile waste.

Revive your creativity through raw materials, real process,
and radical self-trust.

Break the rules, find your edge.

Learn how to silence your inner critic, stop second-guessing your choices, and make bold creative moves with confidence.

Turn waste into wonder.

Turn overlooked materials like rusted metal, discarded fabric and found objects into one-of-a-kind artwork.

Upgrade your technique toolkit.

Experiment with rust-dyeing, sculptural stitching, and fabric burning to open up unexpected possibilities in your art.

Hi, I'm Clarissa.

A creative coach, traveller, rust lover, and true believer that you can make something out of anything if you’re honest with yourself and willing to experiment.

And that’s why authenticity permeates throughout everything I do and teach – honouring the integrity of the environment, preserving materials, and honing in on your YOUness to create a better world.

Because the truth is – in an age where so many people are focused on things like mass production, throwing items out instead of repairing or reusing, and dishing out quick judgments to what’s 'pretty' or 'worthy'.

It’s clear that our world is craving more uniqueness.

And that’s why I’m so excited to partner with Fibre Arts Take Two on such a life-changing project.

A project that pushes the creative envelope, and embraces unique recycling methods.

Because when you can change the way you look at art – it changes the way you look at yourself as an artist.

And that’s about as life-changing as you can get.

Besides helping you think differently about creativity and create authentic artwork, this course’s intention was to be as accessible as possible for every member.

Know that we take great pride in keeping your material costs virtually non-existent. You will be encouraged to find all materials from recycled items – textiles, rust, and everyday items that have been discarded – and you’ll be walked through exactly how to do it.

It’s my promise to do good with this course – to keep financial costs down and to keep the growing problem of textiles “out” of landfill.

Thank you for your support of our mission!

Part one: The challenge

Your adventure begins by learning the rules, and then quickly and respectfully leaving them behind. You’ll be invited to make bold moves. To make mistakes in the name of learning. And to stretch yourself far outside the confinement of 'fitting' into a box.

You'll join Clarissa in wandering through forests, exploring textile stores, and strolling along railway tracks. You'll rethink the value of what’s been overlooked, engage in a uniquely creative process of hunting and gathering your materials, and find items that you may once have been told were worthless or 'junk'. The places you go and the things you see will enhance your learnings, and you’ll take these deep-seated realisations with you on your future walks.

What will you challenge yourself to find?

You'll explore: Bringing value to 'ugly' things, the skill of seeing like an artist, hunting and gathering creativity, releasing judgement and finding inspiration, unconventional ways of approaching creativity, and setting up your own artist workspace.

Part two: The techniques

Now that you’ve shifted how you see, it’s time to shift how you make. In this second stage, you’ll gain practical skills while learning how to tune into your own creative choices, choosing what to try, what to skip, and what feels most aligned with your voice.

You’ll get the chance to work with fabric in unexpected ways, learning how to eco-dye with leaves and flowers, rust-dye with found metals, create rich texture with household products, and distress fabric using burning, binding, and melting. You’ll also be able to explore stitching with wire, experimenting with couching, and creating sculptural forms using wrapping and layering techniques.

With every technique grounded in accessibility, you won't need fancy supplies or a perfect setup. Just a willingness to play, experiment, and use what’s around you. By the end of this section, you’ll have a toolkit of new techniques you can return to again and again.

You'll explore: Altering and alchemy as a textile artist, understanding composition, setting up your equipment and processes, creating texture with household products, Building your palette.
All while being given the chance to try: Mordants, eco-dying, rust-dying, overdying, shapes, sculpting, and stitching, embellishment, couching techniques, stitching with wire, burning and melting, binding and wrapping, distressing, fabric paints and pens.

Part three: The growth

This stage is where your ideas start to shift, and what you make begins to feel like you. The new techniques you’re adding to your talents will guide your progress into a new phase of exploration. It will allow you to think bigger about what’s possible, and find your voice, originality, and joy.

This stage isn’t just about producing finished work - it’s about building trust in your process and seeing your practice as something that grows with you. The processes learned here – the seeing, the doing, the experimenting – become part of a bigger conversation that you’ll take with you in other areas of life. Because what happens in this phase is not just about what you’re making, but about who you’re becoming.

You'll explore: How to apply your techniques, feeling confident as an artist, putting your creations in place, moving forward (even when you're not thrilled with your work), discovering something new in every technique, and bringing your work to life.

Part four: The transformation

This is where things come full circle. You’ll see how far you’ve come, not just in what you’ve made, but in how you think, feel, and move through your creative practice. The fear, doubt, and perfectionism that once held you back should feel quieter now - replaced by momentum, trust, and pride in your process.

Your final transformation happens in both the physical completion of assembling your small and larger artwork, and in the mindset transformation of stepping into a new artistic identity. As you step into a new confidence simply by doing, you’ll enjoy every feeling that comes alongside the completion of a project, with the added satisfaction of doing it your way, and in your voice.

You’ll round out this course by having an up-levelled skillset, a new direction on how to carry your creativity, and a clean slate allowing yourself to be you.

You'll explore: Confidently assembling your final artwork, choosing substrates, bases, and backgrounds that support your vision, adding, layering, and connecting pieces to create a cohesive whole, releasing perfectionism and finishing your project your way, exploring hanging options and final presentation details.

Are you ready to create with courage?

A lifetime of learning and exploration awaits.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

10 Modules with Individual Video Lessons
Comprehensive Resource Guides
Lifetime Access
*Private Facebook Community
Learn at Your Own Pace
Professionally Filmed Content

Today's Price

$198 USD

Yes, Enrol Me Now

Payment plan
available at checkout

Creating with Courage could be right for your personal practice if:

You’re looking for clear strategies and techniques to reignite and strengthen your creativity.
You're eager to explore the use of recycled textiles and shake things up in your art practice.
You’re open to making mistakes, thinking outside the box, and experimenting in unconventional ways.

Whether you're already experienced with fibre sculpture or are simply checking this medium out through your other creative interests, this course promises to arm you with a whole new approach to creativity.

Helpful FAQs
Have another question? We’re here to help! Please contact the Take Two team at support@fibreartstaketwo.com

: This course is being offered on demand, which means you have instant, lifetime access to the complete course as soon as you enrol. Unlike our Signature courses, there won't be a tutor interaction period with live access to Clarissa, but you'll still have access to the student community Facebook group where you can learn, grow, share and connect with other artists.
: Not at all. This course was created for creatives who want to watch in their own time, hit pause, re-watch, take a break, and then return for more!
: You can download our suggested materials guidelines here.

If you’re already creating mixed media fibre art, you’ll likely have these materials on hand. Once you’re enrolled, we’ll also send a comprehensive list of materials used in each module, including links to suppliers, if you’d like to purchase additional supplies.
: At this stage, we choose to host our student community groups on Facebook as it’s a free, accessible platform that allows ease of communication for both students and tutors.

We also have multiple moderators actively engaged within the group to ensure our communities remain safe and welcoming learning environments.

This community is not compulsory, but it’s highly recommended - and our students love it!

“FATT have put together this fabulous format that nurtures the interactions among us. I didn’t even do Facebook before!” – Chris Carlson
: That’s okay - you don’t need to be a tech whiz to enjoy our online fibre art courses!

Our students regularly report (with much relief 😉) how easy it is to use our online learning platform. We’re also proudly well-known for our top-notch customer service and are always just a message away if you need support.
: Absolutely. Our course content is fully responsive, so you can access your course wherever you feel most comfortable - your computer, phone, or tablet. All you need is an internet connection.
: Because we have students from all around the world, we have set up geolocation to accommodate your local currency where we can. We currently accept USD, AUD, GBP, Euro, CAD and NZD… with more to come! If your currency wasn’t mentioned, your bank will still automatically convert it to your local currency once the charge goes through.

(And on the topic of being international, the Take Two team are based in Australia… hence the spelling of things like fibre, realise and enrol!)
: Great question. You can post your questions about the course in our private Facebook group; either someone from the community or Take Two can help you.

If you have more technical questions or are unable to join the student group, please don’t hesitate to contact support@fibreartstaketwo.com.

An on-demand course for artists of all levels, with world-class artist Clarissa Callesen.

from repurposed anything!

LEARN AT YOUR OWN PACE | LIFETIME COURSE ACCESS | PRIVATE ONLINE COMMUNITY

Recycle. Recreate.

Re-ignite.

The secret to feeling truly alive in your work

The only course designed to help you silence your inner critic, tap into your truest form of originality, and challenge your limitations of creative discovery... All while taking a powerful stance on our industry’s biggest crisis: Textile waste.

Revive your creativity through raw materials, real process,
and radical self-trust.