Hello and Welcome!

My name is Carmen Holst and I am the Fine Arts educator at Free Spirits Creative Academy!

I have always been a free spirit. From the time I was little I have been happiest in settings where I am allowed to be uniquely me. I thrived the most in learning environments that offered hands-on and experiential learning opportunities, where instruction was flexible and could be adapted to my specific learning style. I was surrounded by people who made me feel safe to be me and this is what I strive to offer every student I teach.

I grew up in a musical family and began singing at the age of three in our family band. Music lessons followed with piano first, and later, the clarinet.  My interest in art began when my grandmother gave me my own set of oil painting supplies and brought me with her to a community art class. What an amazing world that was opened up to me! 

Despite this, I didn’t feel much connection to the arts in public school until I was in high school. Looking back now, I realize that the missing link was a personal connection with music and art teachers who were experts in their respective fields. As skilled as generalist educators can be, those who lacked expertise in the arts weren’t able to provide the kind of mentorship I needed. It was the teachers with specialized training whose creative passion helped me discover and feel proud about an internal world I didn’t know was part of me. When I would spend time in these teachers’ music or art rooms, I came to know myself as a musician and artist. That no two artistic endeavours are alike, and that these diverse and unique contributions form the real foundation to belongingness. This freedom to be me within a larger collective was and continues to be pivotal to my development as a person.

I knew that I wanted to continue studying the arts after high school and began collegiate level training in clarinet at Red Deer Polytechnic (formerly Red Deer College). Being part of a college music scene exposed me to a broader range of music and expanded my creative world. Being a member of varied musical groups helped me become a proficient instrumentalist and singer in a way that augmented the more formal aspects of my training. There is nothing else like making music with others and the sensation of being inside a piece of music despite its lack of a physical form. Equally, there is nothing like witnessing the impact of creative collaboration when performing for an audience. Needless to say, live performance became an exciting vehicle for me to share my love of music, whether that be with my fellow musicians or our audiences.The more I developed musically, the stronger I felt compelled to pursue my other passion - art. I enrolled at the Alberta University of the Arts in Calgary (formerly ACAD - Alberta College of Art & Design) where I studied, experimented with, and developed personally through mediums like drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, glass, and metalworking. Self-expression through these mediums taught me that I am capable of great and unexpected things when I am in a supportive environment. I also learned that showcasing my work at art shows satisfied the same part of my heart as musical performance. It allowed me to share my love of art, parts of myself, and my perspective about the world with others regardless of my audience’s own artistic background. It also built strong camaraderie with my peers as we proudly displayed our individual creations.

It was during my visual art training that I began to teach for the first time, as a summer instructor at the Leighton Art Centre just outside of Calgary. My students were ages 5 - 12 and I was hooked! Teaching was a brand new way to engage in the fine arts.  I was fascinated to discover something I had always known intuitively: arts education is fundamental to the development of healthy and happy humans! This is what led me to study at the University of Alberta in their Bachelor of Education program.

After completing my teaching degree, I found myself in an incredible opportunity: combining my passions in art, music, and teaching as a Fine Arts educator at Spruce View School. I taught both music and art for students in kindergarten to grade 12 and developed a number of collaborations outside of the classroom to further widen students’ exposure to the fine arts. I also wanted the larger community to gain awareness that education in the arts is much more than learning to draw or sing. Engaging in creative practices enriches the mind, body, and spirit in a number of ways including but not limited to: healthy stress management, concentration, perseverance, accountability, problem solving, memory, risk taking, and cultural awareness.

As a teacher, I am heavily focused on promoting accessible arts education. All children have creative abilities. Students who didn’t know they had artistic or musical potential were quickly producing admirable works and discovering the excitement of creating. One of our students won second place at the division level for her work in the Lion’s Club Peace Poster contest, and among our many public concerts and art shows, we put on a full-length Christmas musical written by one of our own students. While my students’ accomplishments always make me burst with pride, it is often the less visible achievements that fill my heart the most. As a teacher at Spruce View School, I witnessed my art and music rooms become a place of safety for students with diverse needs. Students who otherwise felt isolated on a day-to-day basis were able to express themselves and find personal success while engaging and persevering in the fine arts. 

As fulfilling as teaching has been, it’s also been exciting to achieve Kodály Level One certification through the University of Alberta. This has kickstarted my Master’s degree in Music Education. I am also enjoying taking courses more locally through the Innisfail Art Club and developing new technical art skills and relationships. 

Fast forward to today: I am a wife, a mother to a spirited 7 year-old, and a passionate advocate for fine arts education. I know that helping our youth develop their innate creativity, and to gain a sense of self, belonging, and purpose through the fine arts will always feel like a privilege to me.