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Hi, I'm Ashley!
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| Artist C.V. |
What is Art Unschool?
Art Unschool is the place where I teach you how to feel comfortable and confident expressing yourself through painting and drawing. This allows you to find new outlets for relieving stress, discover visual forms of communication, and celebrate your creativity. All of my services are remote so that you can do all of this within the comfort of your own home. Art skills are not prerequisites to work with me, and I love working with all ages and backgrounds.
Art Unschool is the place where I teach you how to feel comfortable and confident expressing yourself through painting and drawing. This allows you to find new outlets for relieving stress, discover visual forms of communication, and celebrate your creativity. All of my services are remote so that you can do all of this within the comfort of your own home. Art skills are not prerequisites to work with me, and I love working with all ages and backgrounds.
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How did I get here?
Grab a cup of your favorite beverage... I have loved art since I was a child. It has always been my passion and my creative outlet for my experiences, thoughts, and feelings. This is why I went into the fields of Art Education and the Fine Arts and spent years upon years in traditional art school. In my undergraduate years, I earned my Bachelor's of Science in Art Education K-12. In graduate school, I earned my Master of Arts degree in Painting, as well as my Master of Fine Arts degree, which is the terminal degree in the studio art field, in Painting & Drawing. Earning three degrees led me to becoming a certified Art Teacher, and I was an art teacher in the K-12 education system for almost five years. I have also taught an adjunct college-level art course for three years, and I have experience teaching adult art courses, as well. While teaching grades K-12, I realized very quickly that something was missing - for me, for my students, for everyone. True, genuine, intuitive creativity is just not celebrated enough, and this realization is where Art Unschool was born! During my first year of teaching, I saw almost instantly that Art is a difficult subject to fit into the mold of the Education system. It is a subjective subject. It is not objective. In reality, there is no right or wrong in Art. I found myself in a world where state tests started taking over, and the Arts were (and are) increasingly treated as less important. And, my way of thinking and teaching in a very holistic, intuitive, free-flowing, abstract manner didn't necessarily fit in properly. So, with these realizations, I thought how am I going to do this and be happy? Unfortunately, I was not happy, because I couldn't FULLY do or share what I really wanted to do or share. Let me tell you why I couldn't. In modern Art Education in the U.S.A., it is typically expected that the outcome, the final art project, is the most important thing. Therefore, the artist's feelings and an enjoyable creative process becomes secondary. With my over 1000 art students through the years, I witnessed that the opposite is true- The creative process being positive for the artist seemed to be the most vital component for my kids to be happy making art, and the outcome (still important, yes!) was actually secondary. But, to function in the traditional education system, I couldn't actually embrace the opposite of what the system is set up for - products and outcomes being number one. That's just how it is, and all teachers and administrators live this reality. I tried everything to make my teaching style, mindset, and approaches fit in and be successful. Even amongst some seriously harsh circumstances through the years of hard student home lives, no art room, art-on-a-cart, no technology, shared classrooms, pandemic teaching, low art budgets... You name it! I. Tried. Everything. in every situation. And, something was always missing. I eventually realized that the missing parts will always be missing, no matter what I did, because I simply couldn't, and shouldn't, fight a huge system already in place. But, I stayed firm in what I believed... I believe that making art can and should make you feel good. It builds confidence and self-esteem and independence. It develops problem-solving and various communication skills. It encourages freethinking and uniqueness. Being able to tap into your creativity absolutely benefits all careers in all fields of STEM, business, *insert any "non-art" career here.* Making art CAN do all of these things for truly anybody, IF it is kindly and compassionately encouraged by a "teacher." I do not believe that making art should cause stress or self-doubt, and negative or cruel judgements and criticisms should not exist in K-12 art class. And many adults did not have genuine, positive encouragement in the arts growing up, and then they do not create in adulthood as a result, and the cycle goes on, and I am left screaming inside to the world, "WE ARE ALL CREATIVES!" Creating something, whether it is in painting, music, writing, or theatre, should be exciting, liberating, empowering! It is significant for the ARTIST to enjoy BOTH the creative process AND the outcome! Even if the outcome is not ideal, it is okay because if the artist enjoyed themselves making it, then it is a good thing! Because they made something unique and original! They created something! And taping into your creativity benefits all parts of life! And you can find beauty in everything! ... My beliefs I just shared with you, well ... within my art class, my kids (students) LOVED the way I thought and taught and inspired them, and I absolutely loved them, too. But, within the professional field, I felt completely alone. And being an Art Teacher was what I wanted to be since I was in kindergarten! So, as hard as it was to leave my kids (I will always endlessly miss all of them), I walked away from the traditional education system. I took the leap because I knew that I was wildly and weirdly different and that I needed to share my passion in ... a different way. That is why I created Art Unschool. 
Why would you benefit from this?
I want to share all things Art with you, but in my own way, with a relaxing, healing, and therapeutic approach to art education and to making art in general. This is how I personally create my artwork, and it has brought myself and my former students much happiness and less stress. Making art freely ... It lets you breathe. If you want to see how making art can transform your life and experience what it is like to create art honestly, freely, and openly, while finding new meanings in your life and new forms of communicating, please see my services and join me! |