What Teaching Teaches Me

My students hard at work.

I just wrapped up teaching a two-day workshop through the local college.  I took the majority of the summer off from teaching this year because I wanted to focus solely on painting.  And it was good to do so.  I think my work benefited from it--I made better paintings more consistently. I could afford to edit more.  But, every time I teach I am reminded that I benefit from sharing knowledge as well.

My students are a dedicated bunch.  They are enthusiastic learners.  They teach me patience and renew my passion for the arts when it grows stale. They expose me to their unique approaches to painting and I learn from that. Some of them grow in leaps and bounds and make me feel humbled. They teach me to be open-minded. They show courage. In the end, they remind me why I paint.