Back then, I kept running into the same frustrating patterns—projects where every kid made the exact same thing, and art that felt totally disconnected from the rest of the school day. The art room was treated like an island. Fun, sure—but separate. And that didn’t sit right with me.

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So I started teaming up with classroom teachers to try something different.

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We designed projects that connected with what students were learning in their other subjects—but in a way that still honored exploration, self-expression, and creative thinking. These weren’t cookie-cutter assignments. They were process-based, inquiry-driven projects that gave students space to ask questions, take risks, and make something truly their own.

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Those early collaborations lit a spark—not just in my students, but in the way we all thought about what art education could be.

When I eventually left the classroom, I couldn’t let go of that vision. I founded Doodles Academy to keep it growing.

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At first, I worked closely with schools in Portland, Oregon—co-creating curriculum that integrated art with classroom learning. Every lesson was tested in real classrooms and refined based on feedback from teachers and kids. Over time, that turned into a flexible library of lessons and resources that are free or low-cost, especially for schools that might not otherwise have access to high-quality arts programming.

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Now, our home base in Ann Arbor, Michigan plays a key role in shaping that work. It’s where we try new things, test new projects, and learn directly from our community. What we discover locally helps shape what we offer nationally—connecting more and more classrooms through the power of creativity.

 

At Doodles Academy, we believe every child deserves the chance to see themselves as an artist, and every educator deserves the tools and support to help them get there. That belief started in one classroom—but it’s grown into something much bigger, and much brighter, than I ever imagined.​

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