276: Become UNSTANDARDIZED! (w/ Amber Kane)

Amber Kane is an educator, textile designer, entrepreneur, and stellar day dreamer.  She received her Art Education degree from Messiah College, and earned her masters in Creativity Studies from Union Institute and University. She taught high school Art for 8 years in the public school system, while running her textile design business on the side.  While teaching she learned that our schools are teaching creativity and dreams right out of our students, while developing an obsession for empty standards. In 2015, she resigned from her public school position.  She now teaches online AP Art and Art History courses for PA Homeschoolers, works part time at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, and creates one-0f-a-kind textiles. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/amberkane In this episode, Amber discusses: -Her first years working as a teacher, and the pushback that she was getting from the school. -Her decision to quit her teaching job and move into an abandoned home. -The early process of getting settled in the new situation that she had “flung herself into.” -Her realization that she needed a safe space to process the last eight years of her life. -How her textile design business started. -The power in being a teacher and a working artist. -How she is still surprised that she was able to convince her husband to move into their “Freedom House.” -How she wrote herself termination letters in order to reassure herself that she couldn’t be fired for her ideas. -How she reestablished her reasons for being an art teacher at the beginning of each school year. -The power in telling other people your plans, even before you are fully convinced that you are capable of executing those plans. -How she created The Unstandardized Standard. Amber's Final Push will remind you that just because it’s not easy, that doesn’t mean you’re not supposed to do it!   Quotes: “I think it’s actually been within the last six months that I started to feel comfortable using my voice again.” “I realized that I could not get my daily actions to line up with my ‘Why’ anymore and that was a clear signal that I needed to get out of there.” “If it feels really hard but you still want it, then that needs to be the thing that you put all of your focus and energy into getting.” Links mentioned: The Unstandardized Standard Connect with Amber: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter   Join the discussion in the Facebook group!