What My Students Taught Me About Art (and Life)

As this semester comes to a close, I find myself reflecting not just on what I taught—but what I learned. My art and art journalling classes have been filled with colour, courage, and quiet moments of strength. Each session reminded me that teaching art isn’t just about materials and techniques—it’s about people, their stories, and their willingness to show up, just as they are.

I’ve learned that people can be strong and vulnerable at the same time. When someone is brave enough to name what’s not quite right in their life, it doesn’t weaken them—it strengthens them. Because from that honesty comes clarity, and from that clarity, a plan begins to form.

Hope, I’ve come to see, is not something people are simply born with—it’s a skill. One that can be practiced, nurtured, and held onto with persistence. And sometimes, just picking up a paintbrush is an act of hope in itself.

I’ve watched adults bring their quiet fears to the table—those things they hide from the world—and through their art, face them. And in that process, a masterpiece emerges. Not just on the page, but within them. It’s humbling, beautiful, and incredibly human.

Most of all, I’ve learned that the most broken hearts often hold the most brilliant colours. In every layer of paint, every torn paper collage, every mark on the page—there’s a release. A letting go. A reminder that beauty can rise from broken places.

So to my students: thank you. For your honesty, your bravery, and your trust. You’ve reminded me that art isn’t just something we do—it’s something we live.

Stay Inspired,

Christene