Shriya Sasank

I'm not buttering you up but these are truly words from my heart😄😊

Lakshmi Ma’am’s class is more than just a regular art class. I had started her classes as a stressed out teenager, full of self-doubt and anxiety (the torrid years of 2007 to 2012). By the end of my high school, I emerged a calmer, more confident person, able to express my opinions fearlessly and I’d found my love for creative expression. Ten years later, Art is still something that grounds me and brings me so much joy! It led me to where I currently am, at Adobe in San Francisco as a software engineer. I would have never imagined that one day, I would design my own wedding invitation but I did!

It’s hard to explain how Lakshmi Ma’am teaches her students - she customizes her interaction according to the student’s needs and headspace. The picture that she chooses for the child is expressly suited to what the child needs, nudging them to grow out of their comfort zone but without stress. Her skill, personalized teaching, no-nonsense attitude, candor and love (lots of it!) are special to this class. No one is senior or junior in her class and everyone’s work is equally up for critical discussions - all the students from the youngest to the oldest have a chance to express their opinions without judging and truly learn to appreciate all kinds of art.

This testimonial doesn’t have very many references to her own artistry because it’s a given - Lakshmi Ma’am is an Artist of the highest calibre but what she provides in her classes is much much more than that - art and appreciation for it, public-speaking, self-confidence, community and growth as an individual. I wish I could take her classes all over again!

-Shriya Sasank