One of my students last year struggled through my painting class and was having a hard time to create any work at first. She had not taken any art during her high school years until then her final semester. She was a challenge because she claimed she had no talent, she had no ideas and she thought if she would stall all day everyday that maybe she would never have to paint.
She didn't understand that I wasn't going to make fun of her. She didn't realize that there were a few students in the class that had less skills than she, and she also didn't realize that I was going to encourage her all the way through. Everyone spends way to much time comparing themselves to others. No one person is actually getting it all right even if you think they are looking good. I found that once this student quit evaluating herself in relationship to others and just started to work, that she could succeed in the visual arts.
She had painted this one sheep one day, and I laughed inside, smiled and praised her for such a fun interpretation of a sheep. It was a little kindergarten-like but it was her honest expression. Once she found my approval, away she went. She went to find one of our larger canvases and as you can see we have a whole flock of sheep.
When she was to graduate, she brought to me, on the last day, a smaller version of her sheep and gave it to me, and I will keep it forever. In many ways the painting contradicts her opinion of herself. She thought she had to be just like all the other sheep who were good painters, when all along she was different but still capable to work and stay around with the flock. Thanks for reading.
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