“My journey to RISD began when I decided to move out of my comfort zone. I believe in finding ways to bring art and creativity into my everyday life. I thought I’d just take one RISD CE class … and then I couldn’t stop! I had thought I was most interested in graphic design, but when I started taking classes I was surprised to find I was drawn to painting. Every class I took forced me to work outside my comfort zone and pushed me against the limits of my ability—in a good way.

Finding the motivation to create in anxious times was difficult. I’m grateful that I had a remote final painting studio to push me to meet deadlines and give me a community to share work with. Daily walks help me focus on the world outside of myself. When I get out of the house, I start thinking about how I can capture what I’m seeing on canvas.”

—Jessica Metzler, 2020 RISD CE Painting Studies certificate graduate

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