I read this quote recently, “Lying about your feelings so that others won’t reject you does not create meaningful relationships,” and it struck me as absolute truth. I found it relatable because someone asks how I am doing, the way my business is performing is weighed in how I answer that question. Because, my small business is me, and I am my business; we are the same. My social and professional life are too intertwined to live fakely...so I have to be authentic if I want real relationships.

I’ve created many meaningful relationships with my students over the last three years and I believe that I might have been able to gain more customers if I had put up a facade, but I'd be exhausted trying to keep that up?  My students have invested in me, in the way I teach, my philosophy of art education, and I can say without any doubt that they get the real me 100% of the time. They continue to be patrons of my business because that trust and respect is there, because I am my business and my business is me. Students are investing in Kate.

As I continued to think about this, it brought me to the education side of my business. Teachers that have created meaningful relationships and are well loved offer an environment with more student engagement, and foster an open environment of trust. 

Because of the foundation of Kate’s Art School we have a core group of a people that are fully invested, who keep returning to class and want to master their artistry. Kate is what brought those students in and continues to be the foundation for the program, but that's not what makes Kate's great.

Yes, Kate provides students with the artistic problem to solve, but it's the students who show each other how many solutions there are to that problem.  And the more they come, the better they get as finding ways to solve artistic problems, which continues to grow the collective creative experience.  

Thank you all so much for helping Kate’s Art School to continue to grow and forge new relationships, for continuing to invest in your own creative endeavors, and help me teach others that everyone can be an artist with practice, education, and trust.