What Teaching has Taught Me

If you’ve ever thought about teaching something you know, I’m here to say there are so many benefits you might not expect.

One of the biggest surprises for me has been how much teaching has given back to me.

It’s pushed me to put words to things I never had to explain before. Not just about art, but about how I make art. Honestly, when I taught my very first class for adults, I barely knew what I was doing. I think I just set up an interesting still life and said, “OK, do this.” (only a slight exaggeration!) But teaching helped me clarify my process and figure out how to actually guide someone through it.

It’s also taught me to stay flexible. Things don’t go as planned. And I’ve learned that’s not only fine, it’s often where the best stuff happens.
Every time I teach, I learn something. A new way of seeing, a better question to ask, a different way to describe a tricky concept. And don’t even get me started on the life analogies. There are so many ways that art and life mirror each other.

Someone said to me recently, “You can’t really teach art. You can teach technique.” And while I get what she meant - you can’t hand someone their voice or their vision - I don’t fully agree. Because teaching art isn’t just about skills. It’s about helping people discover how they see the world. And that is something you can teach. Not with formulas, but with encouragement, questions, and a safe place to try things. Actually, this should be a future post because I have a lot more to say about what and how you can teach art.

And maybe the most unexpected gift? The friendships.

Over the past 20-plus years, I’ve met some of the kindest, funniest, most creative people through teaching. Students who became friends. Friends of friends who showed up in class and never left (in the best way). A whole community I never could have planned for, but now couldn’t imagine being without.

So if you’re on the fence about teaching something you love, I hope this nudges you a little closer.

It’s not just about passing something on. It’s about becoming more of yourself in the process.

My wonderful online classes!

And in person with a student who became a good friend, Kris!