The creative process is important because it allows us time to look, take in, distill; and ingest the visual world. As an artist and art educator, above all, I want to inspire my students to understand what it means to notice and wonder. Whether I am sharing images of the magic of the sunset, or asking my students to notice the subtle bend of a flower’s stem, or the gentle spirals in a seashell, I am constantly taking the time to encourage my students to pause and take notice. Exploration is essential to art making and allows us to express ourselves and our individuality. I also believe that these skills are easily transferable to other aspects of life. By encouraging risk taking and exploration, we gain confidence and learn how to solve problems. Through the creative process we learn how to work through obstacles and find alternative solutions, and we can begin to understand that there is not one way to make art, just as there is not one way to approach a challenge