Running a business remotely and working with clients across the world—whether in Poland, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, or elsewhere—offers an undeniably exciting career. The creative industry provides freedom, global connections, and the joy of building something original. For over a decade, this space allowed me to paint, innovate, and manage projects that stretched across borders.
Yet a few years ago, I was invited to explore a very different environment: the classroom. At first, I saw it as “testing the waters,” but stepping into teaching brought forward an entirely new set of realizations.
Business vs. Classroom: Two Different Worlds
In business, interactions are often transactional, even when meaningful relationships are built with clients. Teaching, however, is both personal and generational. Instead of delivering services to companies, the challenge becomes shaping mindsets and skills for students who will eventually join or even redefine the industry.
The difference is striking. Remote projects emphasize efficiency, deadlines, and creative execution. Teaching demands patience, clarity, and mentorship. One is about solving problems for businesses; the other is about preparing humans to solve problems for the future.
Expanding the Network, Expanding Perspective
Teaching added a new layer to my already active role in the IT and creative industry. I had long been part of conferences, cultural events, and collaborations with different sectors—but now, these experiences feel more interconnected. Academia links these engagements directly to the classroom, turning them into opportunities to inspire students and connect theory with real-world practice in this digital era.
Rather than narrowing my career, teaching expanded it. I am not only a businesswoman managing projects, but also an academician actively engaged in research, curriculum, and student development. My academic foundation—multiple majors, international diplomas, and consistently high achievement—aligns with my entrepreneurial experience to create a holistic career that bridges both practice and theory.
Learning from the New Generation
Teaching has also offered a direct view into the perspectives of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Unlike millennials, they are true digital natives, born into a world where information is accessible instantly—through AI, Google, or even a phone load at the nearest store. Their pace of learning is different; sometimes accelerated, sometimes slowed by over-reliance on technology.
The generational gap is both a challenge and an inspiration. It forces educators to rethink approaches: not just delivering information, but teaching students how to learn, how to think critically, and how to apply knowledge meaningfully.
Feeling Human Again
Beyond academic challenges, teaching reintroduced me to a deeply human dimension of work. Business, no matter how creative, often revolves around transactions and deliverables. Teaching, by contrast, engages directly with lives—students with different stories, ambitions, and struggles. The classroom is a place where growth is visible, progress is shared, and mentorship becomes part of the process.
Equally, the education industry is vibrant and communal. Events are everywhere—seminars, festivals, recognition days, competitions, even simple gatherings that celebrate milestones. It is a world full of activity, culture, and joy. After years of remote projects, this immersion in human connection and community feels refreshing, energizing, and profoundly fulfilling.
The Value of Multiple Roles
Balancing multiple roles—business owner, academician, teacher, and artist—has not been a burden but an enrichment. In fact, it highlights how interconnected these spheres are. Business sharpens strategy and execution. Teaching builds patience and leadership. Academia sustains a love for continuous learning. Art keeps creativity alive.
Living in these intersecting worlds makes me feel more connected, more engaged, and more human compared to working purely in remote isolation.
The Awe of Teaching
Analyzing these experiences, I realize that teaching is not simply a professional role added to business and art. It is a mirror that reflects the future—through the eyes of the youth—and a lens that refines my own way of thinking. It challenges me to stay relevant, adaptive, and continuously learning.
The awe lies in seeing how this generation learns differently, thinks differently, and approaches life with tools I did not have growing up. And equally, the awe is in how teaching transforms me: sharpening my academic rigor, broadening my perspective, and strengthening my passion to empower others.
The conclusion is clear: teaching is a complement that expands both knowledge and humanity. It is both exploration and growth—shaping the next generation while also reshaping myself.