The gallery classroom smelled like paint and possibility. Eight students sat at easels, ranging from a nervous teenager to Mrs. Chen, who'd decided retirement should include discovering her artistic side.
"Don't overthink it," I said, walking between the easels. "Art isn't about perfection. It's about expression. What you're feeling, what you're seeing, what you want to say."
The teenager—Maya, a young wolf from the pack—raised her hand. "But what if what I'm feeling is just... confused?"
"Then paint confusion. Use colors that feel chaotic. Brush strokes that don't follow rules. There's no wrong way to express emotion."
I demonstrated on my own canvas, letting the brush move freely, creating abstract swirls that captured the nervous excitement of the upcoming ceremony. Gold and cream m
