It’s been ten years since I started teaching art and it’s been quite a journey! 

I started teaching because the common sense thing to do was teach art, as I was good at art. But teaching art and creating art are two different things, as I very quickly found out. 

I began teaching by just getting students to draw still life in front of them, painting from pictures, and assumed that they would pick up skills on the go. 

Except it didn’t exactly work out. Students were frustrated that they had no idea what to do next, and I felt like I was on call the whole time telling them step by step what to do. 

I was spending hours searching online, trying out different art projects and it just wasn’t going. I just couldn’t figure out the code of what it takes to get students to draw and paint independently, without me telling them every step of the way. 

I then realized that if they didn’t have the skills to paint and draw, maybe I needed to break down the skills of painting and drawing and teach them, instead of worrying about the end picture. If I taught them the skills, I hoped that they would get more confident and naturally produce artwork as they would know what they were doing. 

So that was my plan, yet I had no idea if it would work. But having no other backup to rely on- I went with it. And, slowly it started to work. I would teach the skills through fun projects and I would get feedback from the parents on how their children were drawing unbelievable artwork, using the exact skills they had learned from my classes. 

It was working!

Once I knew my method worked, I focused on creating projects that would be fun and engaging and teach the core skills, with each project becoming more challenging than the previous so the students would feel motivated and fulfilled. 

Over the ensuing years, I went on to run art camps, put my classes online and teach other artists how to teach successfully. Looking back, I realize how the struggle to work out the right method was worth it in the end, as I can now teach art to anyone (b’H) and have impacted the lives of so many. 

And after ten years of teaching art, this is what I would tell my younger self: 

• Just because I am good at art, doesn’t mean I will be good at teaching art. It takes hard work and perseverance, but it’s the most enjoyable thing to give over knowledge of how to paint and draw to another person
• Teaching art requires patience and you have to be there for the process
• It will take time to figure out the best way to teach art and that’s ok
• Focusing on teaching foundational skills of art is the most important way to teach art, even if other art teachers are not doing so
• Don’t compare yourself to other art teachers, just focus on what you do best and provide the most value
• If you become good at what you do, people will notice and spread the word
• Make sure you nourish yourself creatively;Take time to paint for yourself so you have what to give and don't reach burnout
• Teaching art gives others confidence, greater self-esteem and the chance to reconnect with themselves and is one of the greatest joys in life

The beginning of my art teaching journey was tough. I didn’t know what I was doing and it was hard to keep on trying and pushing myself to figure out the best way to teach art. Slowly, I started to get better at it, figuring out what worked well and how to structure and prepare my art lessons for ultimate success. 

Now I teach others how to do so with my Teacher training course, so they don’t need that frustration and they can just go straight into teaching art knowing exactly what works and enjoying the wonderful feeling that comes with teaching a new skill to students. 

I am so grateful, B’H that I have had the opportunity to impact so many people’s lives through proper art education and iy’H I look forward to the next decade of teaching art.