Our official week of vacation, which usually means cleaning, scheduling, and thinking about what is next. Teacher Jenson, my oldest, and Kyla, my baby girl and pictured above, are off to Kauai with a group of amazing friends. Kaden, the youngest of the family squad, has just started high school so I am staying close for any emotional needs that may arise. After 4 years of homeschool and previous years at a very small (like 9 kids to a class) private school this new adventure is big, exciting, and leads to a lot of conversations on social dynamics, class expectations, and personal goals.

Okay, so what thoughts have been circling around in my head during this “downtime”? Team. COVID has forced a lot of change and a lot of slowing down. I am very appreciative to have gained perspective on what is important to me. I have always known but I am now more determined than ever to have a team (teachers, assistants, office help, and even my accountant) understand art is not passive and its message to our internal dialogue is not quiet. This team understands giving our community the space to be heard, to experience failure in the safest way that always leads to new discoveries, get our heads and our hands into experiences only art-making gives, leading to compassion, inclusion, and value of oneself.

Things I have learned I love; a team of teachers that have the same goals in mind for our students, Do Art kits that elevate art education in the comfort of your own home and are accessible to those not just in Marin County, and the history of experience so that when I stand on my podium and shout to the world how important art-making is to children I am also able to say how that art is introduced and executed is equally (if not more) important. Our studios have witnessed how this gift and way of teaching gives children the ability to be aware, open, and confident and know their uniqueness is exactly what the world needs.

Other big and fun news, after years of “thinking” about a van to shuttle kids from school to our studios and eventually art field trips, has become a reality! I am now a proud owner of a 12-seater van and it is definitely going to be a big part of our newly found team! Now the difficult decision of what schools we will travel to for some art extravaganza carpooling!