When I first signed up to study abroad in Orvieto, Italy, I mostly pictured an idyllic experience of eating pasta, drinking cappuccino, and walking amongst the art I have studied my whole life. While this is sometimes true, I have found that my experience here has been much different than I originally anticipated.

Even as an art history major, I have never considered myself an artist. I have always enjoyed studying art and learning from it, but never in the context of a studio. When I found out all Orvieto students must take a drawing class during the study abroad program (even if they are humanities majors), I felt many emotions, and excitement was not one of them. I always thought my drawing skills were mediocre at best, and, coming from a family of many artists, I never even wanted to try thanks to the fear that my art wouldn’t measure up. I told myself that I would “just get through” the drawing class and then move on to the Art History courses where I belonged.

The studio class was fast-paced from the start, and I began to feel overwhelmed quite quickly. Our first assignment was to simply “make a drawing.” I was so unsure of what to do and ended up restarting three times. By the end, I was discouraged and felt ashamed to pin up my drawing in front of the class the next day at our mini-critique. However, instead of hearing what I did wrong, I was told by my classmates that my drawing was beautiful. They also gave me feedback, but each person in the room saw something meaningful in my work.

The next drawing proved to be even more difficult, as I found myself wrestling with proportions, scale, and frustration. Instead of making marks on the page, it was almost like I had to carve the subject out of the darkness. When it came time to show my drawing to everyone, I felt even more discouraged as I compared it to my fellow classmates’ final products. The critique I received, however, was even more encouraging than the first time. Everyone’s observations were so thoughtful, and, although their comments addressed my drawing, they also helped me learn more about who I am as a person. That’s when I realized, maybe being an artist isn’t about art at all.

In the words of Professor Doll, to understand a place, you need to go deep. Art isn’t just about what’s directly in front of you—it’s about understanding a place. To do this, you need to take the time to learn about all the layers. Even then, there will still be more to understand.

In the words of Professor Doll, to understand a place, you need to go deep. Art isn’t just about what’s directly in front of you—it’s about understanding a place. To do this, you need to take the time to learn about all the layers. Even then, there will still be more to understand.

This is even more prevalent in a world where the opportunity to study abroad is often pursued to fulfill personal desires, rather than to give back to the places you are invited into and understand other cultures. This is why Professor Doll encourages us to hold ourselves to a high standard as Americans in Italy. We are to practice moderation and temperance in all things. Practicing these virtues helps us respect a space or place. Instead of consuming everything at a rapid pace as the practice of tourism sometimes demands, we are encouraged to truly grasp the depth of a place. These virtues teach us to contemplate spiritual truths for God’s glory or to resist the knee-jerk reaction of pulling out our phones for a picture. They remind us that, in order to represent our schools well, we must also represent Christ well, as He is the author of creativity and joy.

In my quest to understand Orvieto to the best of my ability, I have begun to notice things about this place that have affected me deeply. There is nothing fake or “put on” about Orvieto or its people. The big cities of Europe nowadays are so engulfed by tourism that it can be hard to distinguish between what’s real and what isn’t. In Orvieto, this is much less difficult. There is a kindness and authenticity here, and I feel blessed that the people welcome us like they do.

As I finish my “Disegno” course this semester, I take on the challenge of making a large drawing, bigger than anything I’ve ever made before. But I have the courage to do this because of all I have learned about the uplifting environment I am in, and because Jesus has freed me from fear. I hope to continue discovering more about this place, and in turn, more about myself.