Remember in math class how the teacher said you had to show your work? The scribbles that demonstrated you knew how to arrive at the answer. I ask you today, do you have the courage to show your work? Do you hide the journey, the marks of how you arrived at your answer, so the finished piece looks pristine, or do you let your scribbles show through? As a drawing instructor I watched with delight as a student learned to render something with precision. They moved from the mindset of I can’t draw a straight line to knowing they could depict something [...]

When I was a child, I thought by the time you reached 21 you knew all the answers to life. Growing up was hard, confusing, and difficult. Learning math was puzzling, so was figuring out why older kids and some adults were bullies. I never understood racism, I still don’t. When I would figure out the lessons, I would advance to the next level of school, physical changes, emotions. It seemed like there was so much to continually learn. [...]