Supporting Individual Voices Through Art
As an artist educator, one of the best parts of my job is working with individual learners and helping them find their own unique creative voice. I love supporting them to express themselves authentically and create artwork they’re passionate about.
I currently teach art in a school setting as well as to home-educated students through small group classes and one-to-one tuition. I’ve found that art—especially at GCSE and A-level—is particularly well suited to home education. It’s a student-led subject, and the work produced offers a chance to explore interests, fears, personal history, and dreams. Creating art allows students to reflect on who they are and how they see the world—something few other subjects can do.
Learning by Doing
I like to champion the achievements of the students I work with, however big or small, and to honour the creative process of ‘learning by doing’. This includes trial and error, risk-taking, and embracing the journey rather than focusing solely on the finished piece. Creative work is as much about the skills, insights, and resilience developed along the way as it is about the final outcome.
Art helps young people build confidence and trust in the process. It encourages a growth mindset and nurtures the ability to create from a place of authenticity—something that’s deeply relevant in both education and life.
Navigating Creativity Personally
As a mother of two young boys, I’ve also had to adapt my own creative process. I’ve learned to honour creativity in new ways, putting faith in the journey and understanding that each person’s path looks different. Creativity isn’t just about artistic output; it’s also about problem-solving, patience, and finding other ways to express yourself when time, energy, or circumstances change.
Recently, I’ve been using a sketchbook again and simply playing with colour and materials—work that doesn’t resemble my past practice but still feels valuable and joyful. I’ve come to appreciate that creative work evolves over time and that these shifts are part of the process.
Creativity and the Question of Authenticity
As artificial intelligence advances, we’re increasingly faced with questions around authenticity in art. In March 2025, the Sony World Photography Awards announced the winner of their creative photo category. Afterwards, the artist Boris Eldagsen revealed that his winning image had been created using an AI image generator. His goal was to provoke a conversation: is the art world prepared for the rise of AI-generated work?
In reflecting on this, Eldagsen noted that the image “came out of a process… you start, and it leads you somewhere.” His comments suggest that AI-generated art might have its own form of creative process, involving trial, error, and problem-solving—echoing what happens in a sketchbook or during the construction of a painting or collage.
This brings up important questions about what we value in art. Perhaps, ultimately, it’s about being honest with the process—celebrating the journey as well as the outcome.
A Creative Life
There’s a quote I return to often:
“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.”
— Mary Lou Cook
It’s a reminder that honouring the creative process can take many forms. What matters is not only the artwork we finish but also the courage, curiosity, and joy we find along the way.
References
Parshall, A. (2023). How This AI Image Won a Major Photography Competition. Scientific American.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-my-ai-image-won-a-major-photography-competition/
About the Author
Jemma Grundon works with home-educated students in North Somerset and Bristol as an artist educator. She currently runs an art class for home-educated students at Goldfinch Create & Play in Bristol. Her business, At Play Atelier, offers one-to-one tuition and GCSE art provision for home-educated learners.
www.atplayatelier.com
