It’s got to be about the passion, the dream, and your end goal. Forget the haters and focus on what you want, not negativity.

That’s been my chorus since the interaction with my unthinking coworker. It’s amazing that one interaction has affected me so much that I’m thinking about it a full 24 hours later. I’m a simple woman who will normally forget an inconsequential interaction moments after it’s over.

This stuck with me, I think mostly because it’s so similar to things I’ve heard in the past and perhaps too close to my internalized fears.

Another part of her comment that I want to explore is her derisive attitude toward the “internet.” If I opened an art studio in my garage (currently filled with bike and moped parts) and held classes I’m sure she would not look down upon my classes. It would look to her like an old fashioned business, something she could understand. When you take stuff to the internet it’s often see as less than the brick and mortar version. Not to be arrogant but take a moment to examine Amazon, eBay or any one of the hundreds of other successful internet ONLY businesses to see that internet businesses work. They are successful.

Will online education be successful? I think it can be, even when it’s not affiliated with a university. For profit education is always suspect when compared to “school based” education but let’s face it most Universities and Colleges are no longer non-profit. When you add to them corporate advertising in foyers, sponsorships of sports, there is a lot of profit in the higher education system. Just because it’s disguised doesn’t mean it’s not there. That being said, inexpensive art classes via the internet draw people into art. People who may have a dormant interest may take an online art class and it may awaken their appreciation of the arts. I think that’s the ultimate goal of online art classes should be to do that. Awaken the artist and awaken the appreciation.

On that note check out this piece on the Boston’ Philharmonic Orchestra’s Benjamin Zucker.