Teaching is Learning

This year I became an art teacher almost by accident.  In another life I taught difficult subjects to groups of 100 or more, so I didn’t think it would be all that difficult to teach someone to draw.  To my surprise it was more work – and more reward – than I expected.  

   I have been drawing most of my life, learning from several masters, so I feel qualified to show someone else how to do it.  But teaching is different than doing.  Teaching requires lesson planning, helping a student set goals and milestones to achieve those goals.  And the student has his or her own ideas of what tools are comfortable, how much time should be spent, how much effort is worth the result, and most importantly, what success looks like.  Both teacher and student require patience, tenacity, humility and courage.   

     Patience is needed to learn about materials, tools, historical masters and their methods.  There are wonderful resources out there, so many masters from Buonarrati to Bauer, but it takes time to find them, learn their approach, and absorb their lessons. 

    Tenacity is required because not every drawing is a masterpiece.   Its important to draw every day if possible, let go of the outcome and just enjoy the process.  Analyze critically, see how to improve the next one, and keep trying.

     Humility comes from looking at the work of masters, or when hours spent on a drawing have not yet made it worthy of framing. With humility I can still enjoy making marks, interpreting my inner and outer world, and feel I am doing something worthwile.

     Courage is being afraid of making a mistake on the blank page, but making the first mark anyway.  Courage is overhearing someone disparage art but continuing to draw with authenticity. Courage is not selling anything at a show but, nevertheless, going home to draw some more.  Courage is realizing my comfort zone is too small and striking out on a new and unfamiliar path. 

     I hope my students learn what I have learned, the simple joy of pencil and paper for its own sake.  And along the way I hope they learn patience, tenacity, humility and courage.

     Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  I am grateful for each of you!