Sharing Her Dedication

 We are thrilled to share what we learned when we interviewed one of our amazing art teachers, Sharen Eninger.  We have been truly blessed by her dedication to teach our clients for the past 15 years.  Sharon teaches a weekly art class of up to 35 students every Thursday afternoon from 1pm to 4pm here at We Care Arts.  During this class they work on all kinds of mediums, which can include painting, ceramics, oils, fiber art, weaving and much more.  She always asks her students what their dream project is and then comes up with a project to make that dream happens.  Sharen shares her enthusiasm when she says “I feel there is no project that is too big for them, they can do it!”  

  Every time they are ready to start a new project, Sharen gladly takes her time to sit down with her students and discuss their interests along with what is going on with the holidays at that point which would also help determine what may sell well in the shop.  Sharen’s favorite thing about teaching is being able to see her students leave class with a good sense of success.  It is always amazing seeing how art can truly help people feel better emotionally as well as have better self-esteem.  Sharen notices that sometimes her students get frustrated throughout the class but she describes the learning process as part of the journey, “It is like building with blocks, you first have to have a foundation.”

Another thing Sharen has observed during her teaching experience is that these art projects help to change the mood of her students in a positive way.  When they feel overwhelmed, they would break down the work into smaller parts along with focusing more on building friendships.  She encourages everyone that you should not compare your art work with other people as everyone is unique.  In order to make everyone in this class as optimistic as possible they are not allowed to say “can’t” or “won’t” but instead they can say “this is a challenge” or “this is difficult”. 

 

    One of Sharen’s many wonderful memories has been watching one of her students, Todd, grow.  When he first started he could only trace but as he continued learning and practicing he worked his way up to showing his artistic skills in whimsical paintings and coming up with his own ideas. 

We are so thankful for all of our wonderful art teachers who try their best to contribute to the lives of all of our clients.  Without Sharen and all of the amazing teachers, staff and volunteers, we would not be who we are today!