The Fear Theory – Workshop Info

Mission

I start the workshop with a presentation detailing different aspects of my non-linear journey and how it brought me to my current work. I delve into the origins of The Fear Theory as a project and share my entrepreneurial journey, starting with just an idea and a sketch. My aim with the workshop is to help children and students better understand how to tap into their imagination and creativity, enabling them to express themselves beyond the constraints of words.

Description

In this 3-step process, students will design their own planet using a sketchbook. They will be tasked with completing a series of at least three mockups before moving to the template. Once completed I will collect and transform each template into a digital render available for download. By encouraging the use of a sketchbook, my goal is to help students better understand their thought processes and feel more comfortable exercising their creativity. More importantly, they will learn that they have the power to shape the life they want, with the understanding that making mistakes is an essential part of the journey.

Objectives

Testimonials

“I’ve NEVER seen my kids so engaged, as I did with Chad. His sharing of his personal journey and his calling and work really inspired and left its mark on my kids; many of whom also deal with the same thoughts and feelings. The connection was clear, and everyone seemed to really enjoy our two sessions together. The Grade 8’s loved that we were able to have two afternoon sessions with him, as much of our opportunities so far seem to be a one and done. The energy in the room and excitement for work (and to impress Chad with doing their best) was clear. He had quite the effect on many of the young men in my class.

 Our first day introduced us and had us listening to him, his personal journey and gaining exposure to his work portfolio. The 8’s found this fascinating! We made our own planets; most of my kids took this task seriously and dove into it. They really enjoyed his sharing of his working process, work samples, and the technology he used during his creation process. In fact, their only critique was that they wished to have more time with him to investigate such creating tools (e.g., photoshop) with him.

 Our second day brought with it their planet sharing, story time with Chad and then an even closer look at how he includes additional details into his work. Each student was asked to create an image that would then be transformed into a smaller scale hieroglyph. Not that we needed any more energy in the room, but trivia indeed brought it! This experience is one that many more would enjoy. My Grade 8’s absolutely loved his visit and would welcome him back in a heartbeat! I think this is a great and valuable experience for any student, especially those in junior and intermediate grades. It’s been two weeks since his visits and yet they are all still talking about him!”

 – Miss McMahon (Holy Rosary – Grade 8 Teacher)

Student Testimonials (Grade 8s)

 “Chad gave my class a good experience. He allowed our class to be interactive with his work as well as sharing about his past and current mental health issues. This allowed my class to connect closer to him. Chad Hopson shared his journey of creating his book Fear Theory-the Stone which is one probably many to come in the fear theory series. I would like to thank him for all he’s done.”

– Annelise

 “Chad coming to our school was a very fun and enjoyable experience for us. He made his story for us very entertaining and engaging by sharing his own personal connections with us and getting us involved with his questions and activities. I know people in our class can connect and relate with his inspirational story and his personal struggles with mental health. I am very happy.”

– Julio

 “Sir Hopson was really passionate and engaged about the things he spoke about. The energy and vibe he gave off made the experience more interesting. I like how he shared his life experiences. It showed the authenticity about him. The experiences he shared with us showed how hard work pays off and good things take time to happen. In the future I do hope he visits our school again, as well as many other schools, too. His visit inspired me and hopefully others too in different forms of art.”

– Abigael

 “I didn’t get much time with Chad, but from what I know, Chad is an outgoing, cheerful person. When sharing his book Fear Theory: The Stone, I noticed how detailed and beautiful his world is. It’s really inspirational to see someone create such beautiful things. Although I’m not an artist, Chad makes me want to strive to do the best I can in the things i do.”

– Dave