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The Lesson I Didn't Know I Was Teaching
I thought I was teaching art techniques. My students showed me I was teaching something more.
7/15/20263 min read
Every so often, one of my students says something that makes me stop and think.
"You're so patient."
It's a compliment I hear often, especially from my senior art groups. Every time someone says it, I smile, say thank you, and we continue painting. But recently, I've started thinking about those words a little differently.
Because the truth is, patience was never something I set out to teach.
I thought I was teaching techniques—how to mix colors, how to build layers, how to create depth, how to approach a new medium with confidence.
But somewhere along the way, I realized there was another lesson happening quietly in the background.
Patience.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that patience isn't just a personality trait—it's something art teaches us.
One of the things I love most about teaching is watching what happens immediately after a demonstration. I'll show a technique, explain why we're doing it, and then step back. Within seconds, my students are trying it for themselves. Every brushstroke or pencil mark becomes their own interpretation, and more often than not, I'm amazed by what they create.
There are so many moments where I think, "You're a natural at this."
What they don't always see is that they're not just learning a technique—they're learning the process behind it.
Every art form has one.
Whether we're drawing, painting, creating a cyanotype, or making a print, there are steps that build on one another. You sketch before you paint. You build layers instead of trying to finish everything at once. You wait for paint to dry before adding details. You experiment, adjust, and keep moving forward.
Those steps aren't there to slow us down. They're there because that's how the artwork comes together.
And maybe that's where patience really begins.
Art has taught me that creativity can't be rushed. The process needs time. Ideas need room to develop. Confidence grows through practice. Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs happen when we simply give ourselves permission to keep going.
I see that lesson unfold in almost every class I teach. Many students arrive excited, but also unsure of themselves. Before they've even finished sketching, they'll say, "I'm not artistic," or "Mine doesn't look right."
It's easy to want to jump in and fix things, but I've learned that my role isn't to rush anyone to the finish line. It's to create an environment where people feel comfortable trying, experimenting, asking questions, and discovering that they're capable of more than they thought.
Sometimes all someone needs is another few minutes. Another layer of paint. Another attempt. Or simply someone beside them saying, "Keep going. You're doing great."
When my students tell me I'm patient, I don't think they're just noticing how I teach. I think they're noticing that I trust the process. And in doing so, they're able to trust me, too.
I know that creativity doesn't happen all at once, and neither does confidence. Both are built one step at a time.
If my students leave class with a painting they're proud of, that's wonderful. But I hope they leave with something even more valuable: a little more confidence in themselves and a little more trust in their own creative abilities.
Because art isn't just about making something beautiful.
It's about learning that meaningful things take time.
Maybe that's the lesson I didn't know I was teaching.
And perhaps it's also the lesson art continues to teach me every day—not just as an artist, but as a teacher.
If you're ready to experience the creative process for yourself, I'd love to welcome you to the studio or see you at one of my off-site workshops.
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