Why I Started Teaching Art (And What It’s Really Like)

I didn’t set out to become an art teacher.

In fact, I resisted it for a long time.

When I first started painting seriously, it was just for me. It was a way to unwind after long days in my corporate IT job — something that felt grounding and personal, like a quiet space I didn’t have to share.

Then someone reached out.

A message from a kind person on Instagram asking if I could teach her watercolor.

I said yes.

And just like that, I was teaching.

But it wasn’t as easy as showing up and speaking into a camera.

The moment I started thinking of myself as a “teacher,” something shifted — and not in a good way. I began watching how other artists taught. I stalked their Instagram feeds, watched their classes, and tried to figure out what made their lessons “work.”

Before I even realized it, I was trying to teach like them.

And it didn’t feel like me at all.

I over-explained. I over-structured. I tried to sound more polished, more formal, more like someone who had a formula.

But deep down, I felt awkward. Uncomfortable. Like I was trying to wear someone else’s shoes.

It wasn’t until much later — after a few tries, a few re-takes, and a lot of reflection — that I had a moment of clarity:

I already knew ho w to teach

I’d spent 17 years in IT mentoring people, running training sessions, onboarding teams. I knew how to explain things simply. I knew how to meet someone where they were.

What I didn’t know was how to trust that my way of doing it was enough.

Once I stopped trying to copy others and started teaching the way I actually paint — everything shifted.

Now when I teach, I speak as I paint. I share what I’m feeling, why I’m choosing a subject, and where I hesitate. I don’t hide the messy parts.

And funnily enough, that’s the part people connect with the most.

Teaching art, for me, isn’t about delivering a perfect, packaged product.

It’s about creating a space where people feel safe to explore their creativity — even if they’re unsure, even if they’re scared, even if they don’t know where to start.

It’s about helping someone say, “I didn’t know I could do that.”

And it’s about doing it in a way that feels aligned with who I am — intuitive, calm, real.

Inside The Painted Path, that’s exactly the space I’ve tried to build.

Not a one-size-fits-all art school.

But a place where you can learn to paint skies, trees, florals, animals — while reconnecting with your own creative rhythm.

Because art isn’t just about the technique.

It’s about how it feels.

So if you’ve ever thought about teaching — or learning — and felt like you don’t fit the mold, here’s your reminder: