Near about 6 years ago my friend Kristin Shiga asked me if I would be interested in teaching. I said "Sure"!, but what I thought was "yes because I don't want to bartend much longer and I'm serious about my art and I don't think I'll be very good at it but I'll give it a go".
Well, not to toot my own horn but TOOT, I'm actually pretty good at it.
I was pretty nervous and I only had one class at first, but as I got better I got more classes and now I'm teaching almost everyday if enrollment is good. Now, I don't have a Masters Degree so I can't teach at junior college or any college for that matter and I don't think I can teach any grade actually, but I do get to teach at the Multnomah Arts Center.
And what an amazing program it is. If you read my little "about me"
blurb you may have noticed that I called it a rare gem of a place. And
it is. It's a community center that is dedicated solely to the arts.
Painting, drawing, music, dance, metal arts, ceramics, theater, wood,
fiber arts, and photography. They have classes for wee little tots up to wee little
old folks. I've found one of the most amazing places to spend part of my
life and I'm grateful for it.
It's not just that folks get to
experience classes that are high in quality. It isn't that the place is
located 10 minutes outside of downtown in charming, historic Multnomah
Village. It isn't the dedicated staff that make sure every student gets
a great experience and is respected throughout their time at MAC and
have fantastic customer service tattooed on their foreheads (not really
but they're all so nice and helpful). It isn't even the caliber of
instructor they have culled from the arts culture in Portland. What it
is, is the moment the student realizes that they are involved in a
community of people learning, talking, living, and feeling through the
creation of art. I LOVE IT!
I'm constantly impressed by my
students and the people I get to work with. There was a time when I was
pretty brash and a big know-it-all. I had a big head and little
responsibility and I thought I was the s#*! if you know what I mean.
Throughout my years at the Multnomah Arts Center I've grown and my
head's shrunk. I've learned so much about craft, making art, the world,
friendship, and myself.
I'm not bartending. Yay! I'm still
serious about my art. Also yay. And I'm good at something that benefits
someone else. Yay x 3.
Visit the Multnomah Arts Center. Check out the teachers. Come by for an opening and check out the gallery. Take a class. It's worth your time, I sware!
http://www.multnomahartscenter.org/
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Welcome
So this is blogging, eh? It's all new to me, but a little exciting all the same.
Here I am after a long day of work, contemplating getting up and having a swallow of wine yet unable to move my tired butt. I have discovered the true beauty of the laptop. The ability to work from couch. Awesome.
Little did I know, years ago when I was a care-free child with dreams of artistic fame, how much work goes into creative success that doesn't take place in the studio. Now that I've decided to truly dedicate my energies to growing my business I really understand just how hard it is and how much planning goes into it.
I've learned to don several hats recently, some of which fit pretty well, and others that swallow my head, completely obscuring my face, and making it difficult for me see where I need to go. These hats would be office organization, marketing, branding, business filing and forms, yada yada, so forth and them some.
On the bright side, I've got the scheduling, determination, discipline, and the making of product down! Yes!
During this evolution from artist to entrepreneur I decided to document the ups and downs that are inevitable in a journey like this. Perhaps I'll get to share a few laughs and teach a little something through my successes and failures while trying to get my studio on the map...
And maybe realizing that care-free self of long ago's dream of artistic fame along the way.
So, welcome to my blog.
Here I am after a long day of work, contemplating getting up and having a swallow of wine yet unable to move my tired butt. I have discovered the true beauty of the laptop. The ability to work from couch. Awesome.
Little did I know, years ago when I was a care-free child with dreams of artistic fame, how much work goes into creative success that doesn't take place in the studio. Now that I've decided to truly dedicate my energies to growing my business I really understand just how hard it is and how much planning goes into it.
I've learned to don several hats recently, some of which fit pretty well, and others that swallow my head, completely obscuring my face, and making it difficult for me see where I need to go. These hats would be office organization, marketing, branding, business filing and forms, yada yada, so forth and them some.
On the bright side, I've got the scheduling, determination, discipline, and the making of product down! Yes!
During this evolution from artist to entrepreneur I decided to document the ups and downs that are inevitable in a journey like this. Perhaps I'll get to share a few laughs and teach a little something through my successes and failures while trying to get my studio on the map...
And maybe realizing that care-free self of long ago's dream of artistic fame along the way.
So, welcome to my blog.
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