In this age of AI, you know what feels really good?

Human generated art. Sure, it’s impressive (and sometimes demoralizing, if you’re an artist) to watch a prompt generate art in seconds, but there’s nothing like creating something with your hands, using your skills, your imagination, your effort.

That discomfort you feel when you’re learning and not quite there yet? I know it’s humbling. But how amazing is it when your skills grow? When you see real progress? When your ideas start taking shape? When the marks you make, one after another, accumulate into something meaningful, magical, even mysterious.

And when one idea flops, but somehow leads to one that clicks? That’s the magic of the process.

I truly believe art can light you up and be an outlet for the artist within. There’s something deeply fulfilling about making something that didn’t exist before.

I often wonder what the future landscape of art and technology will look like. It’s all moving so quickly. The more sophisticated it gets and the more unbelievable it feels, I keep returning to the beauty of making things by hand. This is at the heart of why I teach and make art.