Back around the year 2000 I was trying to teach myself how to paint portraits.  I had done a lot of pencil sketches and a painting or two but they were awful.  I attended a water color class and met a teacher who took me under her wing and made me believe I could be a true artist.  She actually did her best to make me believe in my latent abilities. So now, there are a lot of people who want me to teach them what I have learned.  Finally in January of this past year, I gave in to the pressure and did my first six session painting class. It was fun and I was surprised at how excited my students were as they learned my unusual process.  I am now teaching my fourth six week session.  I just had to make a notation here on this blog about how amazing it feels to start out teaching a person who says they want to learn how to paint, and end up feeling flabbergasted because that person is an artistic genius!!! All my students have had success learning this process and they have been very happy with the results.  They have told me how joyful they feel to be able to apply these methods and to be here learning together.  That is such a rewarding accomplishment.  The thing that amazes me is to meet a student who seemed to not recognize her own potential, then proceed to teach her how to use my ideas, and watch her bloom almost overnight into the most amazing artist, far better than my self.  Now, I get to pass along what was given to me, the ability to believe in herself. I just find it awesome to be blessed in this way.  Later, when she is ready, I will post some of her work here for you to see.  Till then, take encouragement from this.  Our abilities may not be exactly alike but each of us have potential.  Art can make people happy.  I never realized how encouraging others and teaching art could make me so happy too.