You know what is the coolest thing I do in my life? Along with my Free Arts tag-team partner Helen, I get to teach art to a group of grade-school aged kids at the Crisis Nursery, a local group home.

When I first told my friends, they were happy that I was teaching art to underprivileged children. After all, in my real life, I'm just a staff-level employee at some corporation, nothing too inspiring or interesting to speak of. They were concerned, though, as I was neither an artist nor a teacher. 

Not to worry. I attended the Free Arts orientation and mentor training sessions and was assigned a great partner! Helen brought to the table all the experience that I was lacking. She had been a teacher herself in a previous career and was also an accomplished artist. All I really had to do was show up every week.

Our first session at the Crisis Nursery was one that I'll never forget. I was as nervous as I had ever been for anything! I didn't have a lot of experience with kids and I'd never had to teach them anything before. Helen and I showed up at the group home, both toting buckets full of art supplies. Helen even brought a guitar for a sing-along! We were ready to tear the house down. During that first session, I learned the most important thing I could possibly learn as a Free Arts volunteer: when they're that young, their expectations really aren't that high. I mean, these kids don't want a big flashy production. All they really want are crayons, markers, paint, glue and paper. And then when they're done with that, they just want more of it and some positive encouragement. Every week I go, I learn something new about children. 

Free Arts never asked any more of me than my first 20-week commitment. But the experience has been so rewarding that I asked for and was granted another 20-week commitment (and another!). They gave me the opportunity to work at their annual MAC Camp (Multicultural Art Camp) for a full week, where I would get a better taste of what it's like to work with children full time. They've also let me work art fairs and other special events where we get to work with kids.  Free Arts really is the coolest thing I do in my life.

So cool, in fact, that I have decided to change my career and am in the process of becoming an actual teacher in real life. My Free Arts experience has truly changed my life in ways I never thought were possible.