Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of four columns depicting experiences that arts and entertainment editors Kathryn Fiegen and P. Kim Bui had attending Workspace classes. Regular commentaries by both writers will continue next week.

I wouldn’t consider myself an artistic person, at least in a conventional way. For example, I’m a stellar stick-figure drawer, but I couldn’t draw a life-like bowl of fruit to save my life.

But this hasn’t kept me from wanting to be able to paint and draw what I see. I find coloring books very cathartic sometimes, and I still get excited over 64-color boxes of crayons, so my logic told me expanding my artistic ability would be a good thing to do.

Art isn’t just for the “free spirits” of the world. This is why Kim Bui and I decided to take a look into The Workspace in the Memorial Union and see what a few wannabe artists could accomplish. Through headaches, needle pricks and burns, we have come to a pretty solid conclusion — the frustration is worth it.

Our combined classes of beadweaving, book-binding and glass bead-making have taught us lessons in art. First, that it is not easy. We came in with this notion, but, after experiencing a few classes, have realized that conquering some beads and paper have made us better people. Seriously. If I can weave beads with one hand, and Kim can make beads with burns on hers — what is to stop us from doing anything else? I could maybe even pass a physics class.

OK, maybe not. But I will have more energy to get through the classes that I am signed up for.

We have proudly displayed our projects at the arts and entertainment desk in the Daily office, and, whenever people ask us about them, we describe our experiences candidly, never forgetting to mention a moment of small triumph.

And even if what we made is, well, ugly — people listen and have been tempted to try out the classes themselves.

Second, The Workspace isn’t only for classes. Students can go down there and just work on their own. This summer, my mom bought me a book about watercolor, and I think I might go paint alongside other aspiring artists sometime. Who cares if I’m the only person who knows what my painting is of? It will surely go alongside the other projects at the desk.

Finals week is coming faster than I thought. Between my passion for writing, passing my classes (well, going to my classes) and figuring out how to get everyone Christmas gifts on my meager salary, I’ll need a creative outlet every now and then.

Maybe I can take a knitting class and make everyone scarves as presents. It could work.