Hi parents,

I know this is way later than it should be. That’s on me, and I’m sorry.

Over the summer, I started building something new. A hub of virtual resources to support everything we do here in the studio. If you’ve been with me a while, you’ll recognize some of the programs that are finally finding a proper home there, like the Level-Up program and the A&E Club. What’s different this time is how we’re approaching it.

I’m trying to build the kind of system that would have kept me engaged at their age. Something that teaches real-world skills and art history alongside the creative work they already do here. That part is taking longer than expected. A mistake on my end wrecked weeks of work, and I’ve been rebuilding it from scratch. I teach it’s only a failure if we don’t learn from it.

I’ll have the most basic version of it live soon, just the start of something bigger. At the same time, I will continue to work on building our new platform independent of restrictions from the host builders I have been using for speed.

I’m grateful for your patience. I’ve had no adults who understand what I’m trying to do to talk to, and I’m really looking forward to sharing more with you as things come together.

What I need from you right now:

Please fill out the updated student information form before your first day back.
Even if you’ve filled one out in the past, I need a new one from every student this year. I think you’ll understand when you start to fill it out.

Please go over the handbook with your artist first, then fill out the form together. There’s a section where they’ll share their current interests. Don’t influence their answers, just listen and help them fill it out.

I can help them develop any skill you want, but first, I have to get them to care about what they’re making. That starts with sprinkling in subject matter and genres that they want to take the time to get right. I don’t care what they are looking at that makes them want to try harder; I just care that they are trying and wanting to know how to do better. Not, “I can’t do it.” That’s kind of a big deal in a field where a significant number of people stop drawing or painting at a young age due to self-perceived lack of “talent.”

Thank you for listening. I hope everyone’s had a great summer. If anything’s confusing or something doesn’t work, don’t hesitate to text or call me. I’m excited to talk to adults again.

See you all very soon,
Mr. Derek

The Little Yellow Building