"Imagination requires work!" or Why did I quit teaching art?

I never thought I would be an art teacher forever. Anytime I was in a staff meeting at work where someone would recieve flowers and a standing ovation for teaching 25 plus years at the same school...I never saw myself there. Why? Why wouldn't I want to serve as an art teacher until I couldn't see or draw anymore? Why wouldn't I want to depart all the knowledge I had to my students? Isn't teaching a noble profession?

Well, the answer is "yes"...it is a sacrificial profession that requires many hours, hardwork and dedication. But as much as I was willing to sacrifice...the artist bug never left me...It would always bother me when people would say, "Those who can, do and those who can't, teach." In October 2006, I went to a CAEA conference. Our speaker was the artist James Christensen.

His work was amazing...imagnatitive, emotional, detailed and professional! He was a master at what he did. A master! After so long in teaching, had I come to "mastery" level? did I have a "point of view"? Well, I doubted I had mastery and definately had no time to figure out my point of view. An art teacher asked, "How did you become so good professionally at you artwork? How did you have time since you were an art teacher?" His answer I will always remember, he said "I had to quit being an art teacher to become a good artist..." There was a gasp in the audiance. I knew it was the truth, and most art teachers felt it too. Later two art teachers I met were kind enough to get me a copy of Christensen's latest book signed. I opened it and inscribed it says, "Denise-Imagination requires work!--James Christensen" And so there is is...Those words had been haunting me ever since.

This is posted above my drawing table. A quote by Ira Glass.

 

 

 

http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/great-advice-for-creatives 

As a stay at home mom of two toddlers...time during the day to work on art is limited to naps and moonlighting as they go to bed at night...but now! Now I can work...My personal goal is to do at least 100 illustrations by January 2012 to develop my portfolio. My artistic soul is alive and hungry...I am excited and alive again as an artist and ready to break through the artistic plateau I've been on for the last 12 years of my life.