teaching bug

On Saturday I taught my first class. 40 eager to learn students showed up. As this was my first time teaching, I spent many, many hours preparing. I wrote the entire lesson out and recorded it to time myself, making sure I had enough interesting material for two hours.

When you interact with a crowd mostly made up of people you've never met, you don't know what to expect - especially if this is your first time. I wanted to send the artists home inspired not only by the technical demonstrations, but also by an emotional connection.

I got personal and mixed in my humble painting beginnings, the intimate nature of my inspiration and a whole bunch of stories. It was a risk because I didn't know if anyone would want to hear this kind of stuff. At the end, I got an applause. What really touched me were the hugs and an email from the only man that attended. Picking up his brushes with new inspiration after a two year absence, he was excited.

Needless to say, I need to teach. I love giving, but I'm also very much aware of how much I get back. Amazing. A very special thank you to Opus for hosting my first workshop. I look forward to coming back.

Nikol Haskova Studio