Starting January 17, 2022!

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Sign me up for $99!

Feeling Stuck?

This course is beginning to enroll for January 2022 launch. 


Like many of our courses, it is offered at a Pay-What-You-Can pricing scale.


Feeling stuck?

Tense? Like you can’t figure out which way to turn?

Not sure which idea to build on?

Are you overwhelmed or underwhelmed by your own ideas?

Loosen up and follow your story ideas from beginning to end in this real-time 6-week course.

Learn to trust your voice and your storytelling

In this course, we'll start with nothing, dream up some ideas and images and follow them through in a single, 6-week Vinyasa-like motion. At the end, we'll have stretched our imaginations and surprised ourselves with stories that were waiting to be released.

I've been there.

When I was starting out, I saw people around me filling sketchbooks and telling stories- unique, personal often funny stories that seemed to flow right out of them. For whatever reason, I couldn't do that. I had to start from scratch. I had to start with one idea or image, and build on it. I had to learn how to attach ideas to it, but also how to stay a step ahead of my critical mind, -wolves and alligators- which always wanted to stop me. But I also needed to learn about story, which added structural strength. Soon I began making stories... I'm Tom Hart. I'm a New York Times #1 Bestselling graphic novelist whose been making work tirelessly since about 1993. I've published thousands of pages of comics, and I'll be honest: some of it is excellent, some of it is good, and much of it is lousy.

Argh! I Didn't Know Anything

When I was a beginning student... I had NO IDEAS. I was the worst possible cartoonist. I’d stare at a blank page while the cartoonists around me would fill up pages and sketchbooks with funny and original stories. I had no idea how they did it. It was so sad.

I didn't know what material mattered to me, I didn't know how to follow it through. I didn't know what skills I would need to complete it.

Eventually, slowly, I came to realize I had to start one piece at a time, and eventually I came to understand how I needed to work:

Start with an idea or an image, and build on it, step by step.

This is what I’ll show you how to do.

But everything I've done has helped me become a fuller artist and human being.

If you're like I was, you’ve got too many scraps of notes, too many half-started stories, or pictures with nowhere to go. For years I've taken that frustration and learned to not give a damn. I turned that panic into an engine to keep making comics, and from 2001-2011 I taught trusting your voice and following your vision learning your craft at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In 2012, I founded a school on the belief that anyone can access their imagination and empower their artistic lives.

What others have said:

Seth Teter

5 star rating

“This course was a wonderful set of exercises to wake up the mind and to gain tools to create stories. It is a safe place to explore, conjure and reflect on rituals and routines that generate stories to be told! Think of it as an exercise class for...”

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“This course was a wonderful set of exercises to wake up the mind and to gain tools to create stories. It is a safe place to explore, conjure and reflect on rituals and routines that generate stories to be told! Think of it as an exercise class for creative idea gathering and sharing. ”

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Virginia Small

5 star rating

“I have been drawing a long time but I needed a refresher course. This was more than a refresher course. I got new ideas, insights, and new ways of thinking about my creative process. If you had few or no ideas before, this will give you more id...”

→Read More

“I have been drawing a long time but I needed a refresher course. This was more than a refresher course. I got new ideas, insights, and new ways of thinking about my creative process. If you had few or no ideas before, this will give you more ideas than you can use. Even if you thought you had a great idea, this class will show you new ways to tell your story. I recommend downloading and keeping those PDF files for future use. ”

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Stacey Butler

5 star rating

“Thanks, Tom, for sharing this awesome storytelling process. From generating images to developing narratives, to creating a final story, this class was informative and challenging. Thanks for your encouragement and gentle nudging to get me from ...”

→Read More

“Thanks, Tom, for sharing this awesome storytelling process. From generating images to developing narratives, to creating a final story, this class was informative and challenging. Thanks for your encouragement and gentle nudging to get me from start to finish. ”

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Miguel Yurrita

5 star rating

“Tom was able to give enough work and reference material with every lecture that although I was working alone, it always felt as though I had guidance every step of the way and that I was pushing myself a more with each assignment. Great course!”

“Tom was able to give enough work and reference material with every lecture that although I was working alone, it always felt as though I had guidance every step of the way and that I was pushing myself a more with each assignment. Great course!”

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Avery Cahill

5 star rating

“Wow what a great system this is for generating and completing ideas. I never really practiced sequential art, but I know I’ll use it from now on as a storyboard element to my fiction. I’ll always be a hemmer and hawer, part of this comes from bein...”

→Read More

“Wow what a great system this is for generating and completing ideas. I never really practiced sequential art, but I know I’ll use it from now on as a storyboard element to my fiction. I’ll always be a hemmer and hawer, part of this comes from being a slow worker, part of this comes from having an image or idea that I want to use, which then becomes, in my head, an image or idea I “must” use. With this technique I can generate lots of ideas and stories, which takes the sting out of being a slow worker. The videos were very helpful and Tom commented on every post, making an online class feel alive. I also want to say how much I enjoyed seeing everyone’s work. It’s very inspirational to see such talent, but don't worry if you can't draw; you will be able to do something. Something amazing. You will be able to tell your story. ”

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sylvia watanabe

5 star rating

“This is a super course--I took it twice and it still felt fresh the second time. Partly, I think this is because Tom is actively present--he keeps updating the course, posts examples from his ongoing work, and participates in the comments. He is a...”

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“This is a super course--I took it twice and it still felt fresh the second time. Partly, I think this is because Tom is actively present--he keeps updating the course, posts examples from his ongoing work, and participates in the comments. He is also very successful in creating a friendly and encouraging online environment--a place where you want to go and learn. I learned a lot about building a creative workflow the first time I took the course and increasingly personalized that process during my second time round. Thank you, Storytelling Flow Community and thank you,Tom Hart!”

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Lynsey Erin Hirth

5 star rating

“As with all of SAW's courses I've taken, this one was really excellent. I'm not typically lacking in ideas but have a harder time filling out the story or putting things together and this helped me be to play and rearrange in a non-tedious way tha...”

→Read More

“As with all of SAW's courses I've taken, this one was really excellent. I'm not typically lacking in ideas but have a harder time filling out the story or putting things together and this helped me be to play and rearrange in a non-tedious way that also delivered a finished script and soon to be mini comic. It lead to me discovering solutions for other projects as well. Everyone involved brings wonderful insight and meaningful conversation and the readings and videos are awesome. ”

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Course curriculum

    1. Private link to the Storytelling Flow community on the Mighty Network

    2. Introduction PDF

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. Introduction Text Version

      FREE PREVIEW

    4. Glossary

      FREE PREVIEW

    1. Gathering Ideas Objective

    2. Gathering Ideas - Video 1 - Listmaking

    3. Gathering Ideas 2 - Doodling

    4. Gathering Ideas PDF

    5. Gathering Ideas Text Format

    6. BONUS Postscript: 8 Ways to Never Run Out of Ideas

    1. Developing Ideas Objective

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Developing the Idea Video Intro

    3. Developing the Idea Part 2 - Video

    4. Developing an Idea PDF

    5. Developing an Idea PDF Text

    6. Developing an Idea WORKSHEETS

    1. Expanding Our Idea Objective

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Expanding the Idea 1 Minute Video Intro

    3. Expanding Our Idea Video Example

    4. Expanding the Idea PDF

    5. Expanding the Idea - Text Version

    1. Shrinkdowns and First Iteration Objective

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Creating a First Iteration PDF

    3. Creating a First Iteration Text Version

    4. Creating a First Iteration Video Example 1 - Shrinkdowns

    5. Creating a First Iteration Video Example 2 - First Iteration

    1. Tinker Objective

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Tinker PDF

    3. Tinker Text

    4. Tinker APPENDIX and WORKSHEETS

    5. Tinker (Structure) - Video Example

    6. Appendix: Recent article on structure

About this course

  • $149.00
  • 46 lessons
  • 1 hour of video content

is a class built on methods I've used for 20+ years and taught for more than 15.

I've used these same methods in our popular low-residency workshops at SAW, and I'm happy to share them online. I've used them to make comedic work for years, and quite serious works since 2011. Storytelling Flow is designed to get you finding your own images and following them to a new incarnation, hopefully creating a new you in the meantime. Art should change you. This is the course to learn what that feels like.

Pay-What-You-Can! Yes, it's the same course!

Starting January 17, 2022!

  • 00 Days
  • 00 Hours
  • 00 Minutes
  • 00 Seconds
Sign me up for $99!

FAQ

When does it start?
January 17, 2022. 

How long is the class?
8 sessions in 4-6 weeks. (I tend to put the last 3-4 sessions all up at similar times so some can move at a pace best suited to them...)

Material from the classes will be available for download about once a week. Most sessions we'll have a week to look over the material and do the work. In some sessions, it will just be a few days, but those are simpler sessions.

The schedule is as follows:

  1. Week 1 - Intro and 01 - Gathering Ideas
  2. Week 1 part two - 02 Developing Ideas
  3. Week 2 - 03 Expanding the Idea
  4. Week 3 - 04 First Iteration
  5. Week 3 part two - 05 Tinker
  6. Week 3 part two - 06 Script or Plan
  7. Week 4 - 07 Final Iteration
  8. Week 4 - Reflection


Is this a self-guided course or is there a cohort or community aspect?
Videos and materials are pre-recorded and you can read/view them at your own pace. The course is designed at present to create a community of students all working in the same general timeframe and helping each other out.

I love live calls, will there be live calls?
Yes, we have decided to run some of the exercises with additional live Zoom calls. Those dates and times are to be determined. 

Where will the community be contained?
On our vibrant MIGHTY NETWORK You can join our free public Mighty Network at any time, and will you receive an exclusive link to the private Storytelling Flow Group upon sign up!

How much input will Tom have each session?
Tom tries to responded to every post, and nearly every comment. Tom's colleague Karlo will be running this round of Storytelling Flow because Tom is very active with the Year Long Certificate Course. But Tom will be involved plenty! We have had  amazing communities in our past sessions. 

I see a lot of funny pictures up there. Is this only for humorous work?
I don't see any reason why this can't be for humorous work, serious work, fiction, non-fiction, anything. It designed to get you short-circuiting your Holding-You-Back-Brain and getting you to respect your own ideas, regardless of type. I've used it for all kinds of storytelling, including sci-fi/fantasy, and for my very straightforward and serious memoir.

What materials will I need?

  • Pens, pencils, whatever you’re comfortable with.
  • A very small notebook, hand-sized. Larger if you prefer.
  • Printer paper or sketchbook.
  • Index cards or printer paper ripped into fourths.
  • Paper and pencils/pens for final work.
  • Anything you are comfortable with is fine.


I write better than I draw, or I draw better than I write. Will I be ok in here?
I find that everyone has a strength in regards to writing or drawing. I lean towards writing and jotting ideas down first and foremost, and for me, drawing from a blank slate is hard. You may be this way or not.

If you find it more comfortable to do some of the drawing exercises as writing, or the writing exercises as doodles, then by all means do.

In the final product, play to your strengths and let the other parts grow slowly.

What's the final outcome of the course?
I want everyone to create a short, multi-paged comic story that would be just right for printing in a self-contained mini-comic.

Is this similar to what you do at SAW?
I would say it's similar to what I do in my single day workshops at the Low-Residency Workshops at SAW, but a more deliberate pace at each step. Also, in both cases, in person and online, I tailor it as I go.

Do you use this process yourself?
Yes!  And when I lead workshops in person or online, I tend to walk away with ideas that  I work into my own current projects.

Is this similar to How To Say Everything?
A little bit. Beginning with images and "attaching" ideas and images to them are the keys. There probably isn't as much character work, since that book arose out of a lot of work specifically in comic strips, which needs an array of characters to keep moving. But we can touch on anything in the community and especially in one-on-one sessions.

(How To Say Everything, is a book I wrote in 2009 and finished in 2016 and is available in print here  http://www.lulu.com/shop/tom-hart/how-to-say-every... )

You can download it FOR PAY-WHAT-YOU-WANT, here. 


What is Sliding Scale? What are You Charging? Is This All for the Same Course?
Pay any price below. I want to teach this to you and I don't want to leave anyone behind! I ask that people pay what they can, and what they want. Those of you who can afford to pay more give a gift to me and to others by paying what you can. Thank you!


Will You Run This Class Again?
Our current schedule is 1-2 times a year.

Any more questions, email karlo@sequentialartistsworkshop.org