This is Not the End of the Journey for Me

I heard that line last night in the Theatre Downtown's production of the play Shining City by Conor McPherson and it rang true to my heart. I was thinking about my life as a journey and where it might take me. I have often thought that I would like to teach. In order to teach at a college level, which is what I think I would like most, I would have to earn a master's degree. This brings me around full circle to another thing I have always said I wanted to do, to earn a masters degree in Art History. 

These things are down the road for me, further along in my journey. I am enjoying where I am and what I am doing now, but I am a person who always has goals and a "to do list" in the wings. 

Robin Maria Pedrero and I did an art demo and business workshop last week for the SCC Art Club in conjunction with our exhibit there. We had a good group of students with which we discussed the business of art, sharing some of our own experiences and resources to benefit the career paths of these students. I enjoyed very much the feeling of "giving back" of helping some students who stood in the same shoes I stood in many years ago. Many of these students were very eager to learn more about the business side of art, which is something that I am still learning about. 

It felt good to be an inspiration. To inspire people to try a new technique and a new medium, and to inspire them about their chosen career path in art. I remembered how much my high school art teacher Barbara Chiampa inspired me. She went the extra mile in giving her time and talent to her students. She photographed my entire portfolio, we developed it to slide film, she showed me how to mask out the backgrounds with black electrical tape (yes! this was WAY before digital technology) and how to put the slides together in a packet to be sent off with my applications to art school. This, of course, was after she inspired me to want to GO to art school, and to create all the work IN the portfolio. 

When I think about my artistic journey and my career path, it always starts with "Champ," my teacher.