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Teacher, Artist, Cyclist, Explorer

 

As a child I grew up intrigued with art.  It was where I lost myself for hours.  As much as I enjoyed it, it was merely a hobby, nothing I could do as my life’s work, I knew I needed a real job.  Following other interests with teaching, technology and learning styles, I found myself in the blossoming field of educational technology and learning disabilities.  For 30 years I trained students and faculty across California on how to integrate assistive technology into mainstream college classes using universal learning concepts.  It was great fun honing my teaching skills and watching my students thrive, but after 30 years I was done and ready for something new.

 

I retired 12/31/2019 and then Covid-19 hit.  Now what?  I just so happened to have a workspace in my basement with a glass kiln.  I thought, if not now, then when?  I had already taken a few classes in kiln glass, but I was pretty inexperienced.  I dove in, started teaching myself how to use a kiln, I bought more glass, signed up for a few online classes, bought books on glass art and the magic began.  I was starting to discover my lost inner artistic child through glass art.  My hours in the shop provided a space to detach from the worries of the world and consume myself in the creative process.  What I made didn’t matter, it was simply losing myself in the moment.   If the creation was pretty, wonderful, but the process of discovery was much more powerful.  Through the months I learn a lot about how glass reacts to different glass, different metals and how to create interesting images.  

 

I also realized, as much as I loved my quiet creative space, I missed my teaching self and watching people discover themselves.  That led me to offer a few classes to friends.