January House Literary Journal and Creating this School Year

Red Plateau, 5″ x 7″, Mixed Media (Detail)

Check out my artwork that was recently accepted into January House’s Literary Journal this summer. This fall, my artworks Red Plateau (2016) and Peter and Me (2020) appear in January House Literary Journal, Volume 1, Issue 2 (Fall 2025), alongside an artist statement under “Contributor Bios” (pp. 59–60). These mixed media pieces engage with themes of memory, loss, mental health, and transformation, reflecting an inquiry into how aesthetic experience mediates the processes of identity formation and emotional meaning-making—topics I take up in my scholarly and creative work informed by psychoanalytic theory, curriculum theory, and art education.

For artists, poets, and educators, I highly recommend submitting your work to January House. The process was deeply enriching, and I’ve found the writing and artwork they feature very compelling.

Creating art alongside the demands of teaching and daily life can be challenging, but I find opportunities both during breaks and in the classroom. When I work alongside my students, they see my creative process in real time—how ideas form, shift, and take shape. This practice helps them better understand not only what I teach but why I make art.

To fellow art educators: consider sharing your creative work, whether through January House or another outlet, and invite your students into your creative process. Even brief moments—working in short increments while students are engaged—can model artistic authenticity.

Be yourself, make alongside your students, and see what unfolds.

Wishing you inspiration and balance as the school year begins.

With gratitude,
Ben