Throughout my life, I have found art to be one of the most important aspects of my growing up without even realizing it. Art was a constant in my busy life; It was a space for me to take a breather, catch my breath, and create freely. I have always been a “good” student in my general academic classes but found myself personally excelling in creative-based courses. This seemingly simple output of emotion aided my mental health more than I realized at the time. I will be forever grateful for the role the act of making has played in my life, and hope to facilitate teaching art to produce that same gratuity in my future students.

Art is an integral part of creative and community expression. There are many ways in which a student can “negatively” express themselves in the rigid classroom settings of today’s educational system. I want to create an expressive, open, inclusive space for students to really let go of the pre-conceived notions of what makes a classroom a classroom, and instead allow them to fully express themselves in their creative practice. I feel that my own creative practice is often found in my self-reflective thoughts. By this I mean that the more confident I am in my abilities, the “better” my creativity flows. I aim to help my students achieve a positive view of themselves in hopes of furthering their creativity and overall mental health.