We were lucky to catch up with Crystal Hermann recently and have shared our conversation below.

Crystal, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

I started Sunshine Art House in the Fall of 2021 when Covid 19 was still a large concern and it was unknown if we could go back into lock down and I would have to shut my doors. It was a nerve wracking time to start something new, especially because I had never even dreamed of opening up a physical space to teach art in. I had been teaching art for over 15 years at the time but having an overhead was terrifying and taking on all of the operations besides just teaching and prep was daunting. Luckily I had a large network of families I had been working with via zoom throughout lockdown who showed so much support. Teaching on zoom was the first time that many of the parents of the hundreds of students I taught ever got to know me. Art was a useful tool for kids throughout lock down and my students looked forward to my online classes, because of this I think parents understood the value of my classes and what it offered their kids. My friends and family also showed up for me in so many ways: helping me run numbers, paint, sewing, donating furniture, supplies and a kiln! Everything came together because I had people ready to step in and help me. I feel so grateful to everyone in my life to has helped me through this transition from teacher to small business owner, it has changed my life for the better,

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Art has always been my passion, and after graduating from California College of the Arts I decided to teach art. I taught at enrichment programs at a variety of schools throughout the city, including Friend’s School, Marina Middle School, West Portal, Hamlin School for Girls, and Alvarado. I was also the art teacher at Dianne Feinstein Elementary and a teaching artist at SOTA. When the pandemic happened, a lot of the programs where I taught were put on pause. I ended up creating my own independent classes, first online, and eventually I decided to open my own teaching studio. I love connecting with artists of all ages and helping them explore and embrace their creativity. I firmly believe that every single person has the ability to create art and to expand their abilities as an artist. My curriculum focuses on building confidence, teaching skills, learning about artists, and creating projects that give students an opportunity to create something amazing, no matter what their skill level is. It has been so incredibly rewarding to see students light up with joy as they gain confidence in their abilities. I love that this is my career. Its incredibly rewarded, and I’m inspired every day but the creativity of my students.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The pandemic was a huge turning point for me, because all of my jobs ended when schools were closed. It was a scary hard time, and it would have been tempting to give up, but I knew I had to find another way to continue what I loved: teaching art. I ended up creating virtual classes, coming up with new interesting ways to teach art, and using my contacts to spread the word. I had to learn new skills, including researching how to start my own business and how to organize and manage my class lists and how to manage the finances of a small business. I challenged myself to expand my art practice into new media, such as ceramics and stop-motion animation. I came out of the pandemic more confident in my skills as a businesswoman, and the success of my virtual classes made me realize that I would be able to open an in-person art studio.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

During the pandemic, all of the schools closed, which meant that all of the enrichment programs were I taught were closed for a year and a half. I needed to pivot. I wanted to continue teaching art, but I had to figure out what that would look like. Luckily I had a robust list of contacts from all of the families of the kids I taught at all of the schools. I decided to start teaching virtual art classes. My students were excited to have an opportunity to continue to learn about art. I pushed myself to expand my areas of expertise. I learned ceramics and began a business partnership with a local ceramics studio. I taught kids online ceramics classes, dropping off their initial clay and glaze supplies, and then working with the ceramics studio to use their kiln. I had never pictured myself owning my own business, but after a year of teaching virtual classes, I realized that I was capable of organizing and running a successful independent program, and decided to take the jump into running my own studio space.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sunshinearthouse.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunshinearthouse/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunshineArtHouse/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sunshine-art-house-san-francisco

Image Credits
All photos were taken by myself, Crystal Hermann