ABIGAIL “BOBBY” TAYLOR

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
(COEXISTENCE)

I am an active, capable, and strange member of the world. I am an asset to others. I know
very little about what it means to be human, and this excites me. This excitement, curiosity, and
passion for the world, its inhabitants, and its myriad of complexities gets me out of bed in the
morning. This passion for living, learning, and caring is something I hope to awaken in the lives
of those I encounter. I believe art has the unique potential to do this. I believe in art, because I
believe in us.
In order to keep the world turning, we must coexist together. We must remember our
place in the world. In order to be a part of this world, we must simply, “be”. It is hard to “be”
anything if our worldviews are limited, if we are trapped in our own minds, and/or if we are
consumed by suffering. It is hard to see how much you have to offer, how much others have to
offer, and what the world could be, when we are suffocating under the stress of everyday life. I
offer tools and potentialities to my students with the hope that we can all strengthen our
understanding of the ways in which we can be present, mindful, and a part of the world. I aim to
guide my students in understanding the unique space that art making exists in. I intend to instill
in those I practice with, exist with, the necessity to learn and maintain a sustainable life practice,
for the planet, for themselves, and for humanity. My aim is to work with students to learn the
ways in which art can be sustainable and more accessible to a larger audience. I believe art is an
integral tool in making these connections to the world, to people and to ourselves.
Art is not just another subject in school. It is not something only artists do. Art is not
something that only exists in museums or is only done in studios. Art is integral to everything,
and everything is integral to art. “Art is life.” Art is a way in which we can learn about people,
culture, and history. Art is integral to learning and critically engaging with what it means to be
human. It is integral to broadening one’s awareness of what it means to be alive and to be
human. Art builds empathy, and empathy is crucial for this world to exist and to change.
I do not expect that the people I practice with to change overnight, let alone by the end of
one lesson. What I am passionate about doing, is planting seeds and aiding them in their growth.
My purpose is not to teach someone how to draw, nor to tell them what choices they should
make. I believe that my purpose as an artist-teacher is to provide students with opportunities and
the tools they need to pursue them. I aim to help students see their potential.
Many seeds have been planted in me throughout my life by past teachers. My English
teacher, my art teacher, and my chemistry teacher are three examples of such gardeners. My
middle school English teacher’s passion, empathy, and engagement with us was overwhelming.
An example of this is found in the ways he set up his classroom--a mood lamp, couches, and a
board where he recorded all of the silly things we would say during his class for all to see were
elements that stood out in his room. My art teacher in high school was strange, forgetful, and
laughed a lot. This honesty, presenting herself to us as she is, was powerful. She didn’t put on a
facade, or create some idealized version of herself or her class. She gave you everything, both
strange and wonderful. My chemistry teacher captivated students’ attention with actions that
demonstrated his passion for teaching. For example, he would jump on the table and drop
bowling balls to explain gravity. You may have entered his room feeling gray, dreading the next
day, but when you sat down, you were there. You were no longer experiencing the pains of
waking up, the anxieties of going home later. You were there, and you laughed, and you left
smiling. These moments felt like any other moment. You never realize how powerful a moment
can be, until that moment blooms into a fiery, unstoppable passion. For me, its power revealed
itself to me several years later. The important lesson is that those moments were powerful and
they have stuck with me, even if I was not aware of them at the time, even if the moment passed
by without a second thought.