So I have been approached about teaching art. This is interesting because I have been drawing and making art for, well, all of my life (except for that time when I was really, really small and couldn't hold a spoon to eat my cereal, let alone a pencil to draw with), and I have never EVER attempted or even entertained the thought of trying to teach ANYBODY how to do what I do. I mean...I'm not a teacher. That's what I always thought. Well, that may be about to change. I have been involved with a project called Expressive Capital for a couple of years now, and it has evolved to the point of inviting people to teach what they love doing as a way to begin creating a new economy that works for everyone.
Simply put, the notion of "expressive capital" asserts that what you are passionate about, what you love doing, what you are really good at, has value, somehow intersects with what the market is calling for and can meet a need in a way that is sustainable for you and the community you live in. It assumes that everyone has something to offer and by offering it, you become empowered to make change in the world you live in. This has particular value for people who have been displaced by the current trends in the economy.
This is both a psychological/spiritual premise and a call to action with what you already have inside you, and one way to start offering what you uniquely have is by teaching it. So here I am. Considering this heretofore wild notion of teaching people the basics of drawing. But if I had $10 for every person that's ever told me that they "can't draw stick figures", I'd be writing this from my permanent vacation spot in Ogunquit, ME. Or Burlington, VT. Or....Montreal. Besides, I have a feeling that, given the current trends in the economy, we're going to need more creative people a good deal sooner rather than later.
More later
KCD
