#43 – How Does Painting Build Resilience in Art and Life? | Christopher Batten - The Truth In This Art: Stories That Matter

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#43 – How Does Painting Build Resilience in Art and Life? | Christopher Batten

June 26, 2025 • 59 mins

Visual artist and educator Christopher Batten returns to reflect on evolution, resilience, and what it means to keep pushing—on canvas and in the classroom.

Now in his 10th year living in Baltimore and his third year teaching at Morgan State, Christopher shares how his practice continues to evolve. We talk about the role of failure, what teaching over 1,000 students has taught him, and how martial arts, memory, and perseverance shape his work. This conversation was recorded shortly before his residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and after being featured in Luminosity in Detroit.

Teaching as an artistic tool and the unexpected lessons it brings
Why HBCU teaching fulfills a lifelong dream and sense of purpose
How rejection fueled four years of growth—and what changed when a “yes” finally came
The importance of celebrating milestones and making space for creative restoration
Shifting definitions of success and the value of impact over popularity

🎧 Revisit Christopher’s 2021 episode to hear the early stages of this journey.

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
Edited by Daniel Alexis
Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

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