Teaching…

Teaching…

The more I learn about painting, the more I think about what it will feel like to teach someone else. That thought is both exciting and terrifying.

I remember what it felt like to sit in front of a canvas and genuinely believe I could not paint. I remember watching the instructor make a few simple movements and somehow create a tree, while mine looked nothing like a tree. I remember the surprise when the painting finally started coming together and the even bigger surprise when I took it home and realized I had actually created it.

That feeling is what I want to share.

I am working toward my Bob Ross certification because I love the technique, but the certificate itself is not the end goal. I want to be able to sit beside someone who says, “I can’t do this,” and tell them I once believed the exact same thing. Then I want to watch what happens when they realize they can.

I have no desire to pretend I am an art therapist. I am not. But I know what creating art has done for me. Painting has given me quiet when my mind was loud. It has given me confidence when I questioned myself. It has given me community and friendships I would never have found otherwise.

If I can help someone discover even a small piece of that, teaching will be worth every nervous moment. Maybe sharing the joy is simply the next part of the journey.