Reflecting on the Journal Class

This past weekend I had the joy of teaching a journal-making class with six students. For most of them, it was their very first time working with leather. The energy in the room was bright and eager. Everyone came ready to dive in and try something new.

There were moments that stood out to me as a teacher. Carrie, who had been struggling with the swivel knife, found her groove after a small adjustment to her grip. I could see her shoulders relax the instant she pulled a smoother line.

Then there was Matt, who used his phone as a makeshift lightbox to trace his bonsai tree, a tree he had raised from a sapling, onto his leather panel. Watching him turn that small piece of leather into something so deeply personal was inspiring. And then came the silence... that special kind of quiet that spreads through a room when everyone is fully focused, creating in their own world.

Amanda, Matt’s wife, has asked me to create a large family heirloom book for her. Seeing Matt’s connection to his bonsai tree reminded me of the care and love that project will require. These are the kinds of commissions that go beyond craft. They are about memory, meaning, and legacy.

As a teacher, this class reinforced the principles I believe in. Meet every student where they are. Make it fun. Help them create something meaningful, even if it isn’t perfect. Watching six artists lose themselves in the joy of the process reminded me exactly why I teach.

My personal highlight was with Jessica. She told me she had a box of leather and tools passed down from a family member, but she had never known where to start. This little class will hopefully give her the spark she needed. My hope is that she will take those tools out of the box, begin her own journey, and one day create work even better than mine.

These classes aren’t just about journals. They’re about discovery, connection, and lighting a creative fire that I hope keeps burning long after the last stitch is tied.