As a painting teacher, I love the moment when a student's eyes brighten after using my advice: it's the moment he or she realizes that anything and everything is achievable. Sure he or she may seem hesitant at first, but my goal, through encouragement and demonstration, is to build up his or her confidence since the point of tutoring isn't to do in place of the student but to assist so the student may do so independently later.

Since high school, I've enhanced my writing with an artistic t...