Claira Barilar, MFA

James Hamilton Hay,
The Falling Star 1909

👋🏻

4. If you tell students not to spill India ink, they will absolutely spill it the second you close your mouth.

3. Build them up- celebrate the little wins like they’re huge.

2. Give kids time to answer you when you ask a question- they’re thinking of an answer! This is especially true for English Learners.

1. Kids want to learn and do well, and will do well and learn IF THEY CAN, not “if they want to”.

Here are some things I’ve learned during my first year in the field (with the benefit of 8+ years’ experience with high schoolers)

Year 1 of teaching: DONE.

Fun fact: I’m an untrained psychic. Sometimes, messages come in for me to share-

2025/1: How does the energy of the collective feel for you right now? It’s okay to take a second to seep into YOUR energy collective to absorb their warmth and love. #downloads

Just a sampling of work from over the years. I’m on an academic/teacher pause from larger bodies of work right now, but come summer, it’s on!

Secured the bag. Don’t nobody talk to me about it until I’m done. 🤣

Me: *sits down to work*

My cat: Oh thank the gods, it’s time to take fat shit and run through the house like a possessed demon.

Thanks, Charlie.

Sincerely, an Astarion girlie with an MFA in painting. 💅🏻

Not a hot take, but a take nonetheless: fanart is valid fine art. It just records the history of the worlds we create, and that were created for us. #fanart

Venturing over to Bluesky to share art, awareness of my beautiful Appalachian existence, and advocacy for art education & ALL women in the arts. #art