about Lindsy Farren
What happened? I had my first child and I suddenly wanted to be all the things I said I would never become. “I will never be a stay at home mom,” I said, “I will work because I am a woman and I am i.n.d.e.p.e.n.d.e.n.t (I hope you’re singing it like Webbie).” Sorry, I have a tendency to throw it back to the early 2000s and quote Friends more than anyone would like. But also kinda not sorry. Low key wish I was back in the 90s.
I also said I wouldn’t be caught dead homeschooling. Well here we are homeschooling and not dead either. I decided to give it a go because the pandemic hit and schools were scarcely opening. Three years later we are still homeschooling. I love the freedom of homeschooling, project based learning, play, exploration, and creativity.
So how’d I start art classes? I was trying to give my kids other art opportunities other than the projects we were doing at home but they were too young for classes available in my area. I thought, “That is so not fair!” But I get it too. I started putting feelers out there… for a year really and then things kind of flowered into the Little Art Room where we create to learn and create for fun and then I blog about it all.
Little Art Room is a world where milk cartons become houses, paintings turn into research projects, adventures can be found inside a cardboard box, and a handmade princess doll makes the bestest friend. The magic of imagination is almost becoming a lost art and we’re bringing it back sister (or mister, not sure who is reading this).
When I’m not making cool stuff with my kids, I love reading books. And when I’m not reading books I might be thrifting. In summertime, I’m in my cut flower garden and potager garden. In wintertime, I try to hit the slopes–shoop, shoop, shoop. My name is not missing a letter. Take it up with my mom.
I’m born and raised Alaskan. Yes, we have street lights. No, we don’t ride polar bears around town. Why do people ask such odd questions?
I’m the cool girl who asked for pastels and a sewing machine as gifts when I was a kid. By middle school, I was a collage queen (self proclaimed 🙋🏻♀️). I collaged everything from lava lamps to photo album covers to my walls with celebrities from magazines like Tiger Beat and BOP Magazine (remember those?).
In highschool I decided I wanted to make stuff and make loads of money. So I decided to become an architect. I googled, ‘best architecture schools’. Arizona State University popped up. I applied. Got in. Failed miserably. And completely switched my degree.
Then a course came up in my email to tutor elementary students in Phoenix. So I did that. My little guy was a first grader who struggled with reading and couldn't write his name. I said, “I wanna help kids like this little boy!” I dropped my double major to a minor and graduated early with a degree in psychology and a minor in criminal justice.
After ASU I went on to get my teaching certificate at Alaska Pacific University. I figured out how to land my first teaching job by volunteering in a preschool classroom, becoming their kindergarten aide, and student teaching in their building. I taught in public school for six years.
During those six years, I also: taught after school tutoring, coached Girls on the Run, taught summer school, ran the yearbook club, won a five thousand dollar grant for alternative seating in my classroom, received five free iPads for classroom learning through my very compelling email to the CEO of Apple, and finished a master’s degree in education specializing in reading.
By the way, I can teach reading like nobody’s biz. For real (subtle flex, had to do it).
Then… dun, dun, dun… my life took a plot twist.
