The Sharz Way
Building Confidence Through Creativity
The Sharz Way is the way we do things at Sharz Art.
It has grown from years of teaching visual arts to students of different ages, abilities, personalities and learning styles. Along the way, we have learnt that there is no single way to teach art — because there is no single way to learn.
Every student is different.
Some are confident. Some are quiet. Some want to talk while they work. Some need time to think. Some want to know exactly how something works before they begin, while others need to experiment and discover it for themselves.
Our role is to understand the individual in front of us and find the approach that helps them learn best.
That is The Sharz Way.
It Starts With the Individual
We don’t begin with a belief that every student should learn in exactly the same way.
We take the time to observe the student — their personality, their strengths, their interests, the things that motivate them and sometimes even the little quirks that make them who they are.
Understanding those things helps our mentors work out how best to guide each student.
Sometimes that means demonstrating rather than explaining.
Sometimes it means breaking a skill into smaller steps.
Sometimes it means asking a question rather than giving an answer.
Sometimes it means stepping back and allowing the student to work something out for themselves.
The goal is not simply to teach a student how to draw or paint.
The goal is to help them discover how they learn, create and solve problems.
The Process Matters
At Sharz Art, the finished artwork is not the only measure of success.
In fact, we believe the process of creating is where much of the important learning happens.
Students learn skills. They experiment. They make mistakes and learn from them. They try something different. They discover what works — and what doesn’t.
They learn to solve problems rather than waiting for someone else to solve them.
They develop patience and persistence.
They learn to observe the world around them and use what they notice in their work.
And gradually, something important happens.
They begin to trust their own ability to work things out.
From "I Can't" to "Let Me Show You
We hear students say:
“I can’t draw.”
Our response is simple:
“Everyone can draw. Let me show you.”
From there, our job is not to do the work for them.
It is to give them the skills, guidance and encouragement they need to discover that they can do it.
The aim is for a student to move from:
“I can’t.”
to
“I don’t know how yet.”
and eventually to
“I’ll work it out.”
That change is about much more than art.
It is about confidence.
More Than Art Skills
Learning to create artwork develops skills that extend far beyond the studio.
As students learn to experiment, make mistakes, problem-solve and keep going, they begin developing confidence, independence and resilience.
They learn to express themselves.
They learn that a problem doesn’t always have one answer.
They learn that something not working does not necessarily mean they have failed.
They learn that they can stop, look, think, try something different and find another way forward.
These experiences help build an internal sense of capability — an understanding that they can face challenges and find ways to work through them.
That confidence becomes part of who they are.
It helps life’s challenges feel a little less overwhelming and means that when something does knock them off course, they have more belief in their ability to find their way forward.
The Fly-on-the-Wall Test
Sometimes I wish every parent could be a fly on the wall during their child’s art class.
Not so they could watch what their child produces.
So they could watch how their child creates.
They would see the moment a student isn’t sure what to do.
They would see them try something.
They would see a mistake.
They might see frustration.
Then they would see the student stop, think, listen, experiment, change something and try again.
They would see the little moments of discovery that don’t appear in the finished artwork.
They would see the moment a student looks at what they have created and realises:
“I did that.”
That is what we see every week at Sharz Art.
And that process is often more important than the finished artwork hanging on the wall.
The Role of the Art Mentor
Our mentors are not there simply to demonstrate a technique and then expect every student to reproduce it.
They are there to observe, guide, demonstrate, encourage and know when to step in — and when to step back.
We want students to develop their own skills and judgement rather than becoming dependent on the person standing beside them.
The mentor provides the knowledge and support.
The student does the discovering.
That is how confidence grows.
This Is The Sharz Way
We believe that creating artwork is about more than creating a picture.
It is about creating opportunities for people to learn, experiment, make mistakes, solve problems, discover what they are capable of and become more confident in themselves.
We teach art.
But through art, we help people develop the confidence to face what life puts in front of them and find a way forward.
Every student is different.
Every creative journey is different.
And that is why we teach the way we do.
That is The Sharz Way.
Would you like to know more about Sharlene?
She writes about creativity, life, teaching and the things that inspire her. You can read her blog below.
Start Your Creative Journey
Whether you’re picking up a pencil for the first time or continuing to develop artistic skills, our weekly classes provide a welcoming and supportive place to grow creatively..
My 10 year old has enjoyed being part of Sharz Art School for over a year now and has learned the fundamentals of drawing and painting.