Originally posted on 09-25-2013
Every professor any art student has ever had has given the same advice to their students: “If you can do anything but art, do it.” After going through college and then graduation, and being out for only a few short months, what do I think about this advice, ABSOLUTELY YOU SHOULD!
I don’t need to tell you that making a living as an artist is hard; everyone knows that. But here I am, working two jobs to support myself (and not doing the best job at that), and not painting a stroke. Yes, I have work up in a few places, and yes, a couple of my paintings have sold (literally two) since my thesis show, but already I am doubting my life choices (who doesn’t in their 20’s?).
Regardless, I can’t imagine what else I could be doing instead? And, did I waste my time (and money) pursuing art degrees? Don’t get me wrong, I love art. But did I need to study it in school?
Yes?… Truth is, I don’t know. If I think about what I learned, I’m not impressed with my education. Having not really studied art before college, I was excited about the prospect and declared my major in the first month of class. That being said, I didn’t learn much. I think my Intro to Color class was the most informative. Everything else, not so much. Instead, I was faced with a handful of professors from the Ab-Ex generation, all of which wanted me to paint just like them. Being young and impressionable, and kind of a kiss-ass, I wanted to earn my A’s and did what was required of me to achieve this, even though my true passions lie in figurative realism. Four years later, I was frustrated and annoyed. I graduated not knowing who I was as an artist, and not at all satisfied with my technically knowledge.
So what did I do? I took a year off to experience real life and then I applied to graduate school. But I didn’t get in anywhere. Instead, I was offered a spot a post-baccalaureate program. I uprooted myself and moved to a new city in hopes of filling in those holes in my education. Once again, disappointment.
Did you know that painting was dead? Well no one told me that in the four years I was studying it in undergrad, nor the year after was I was still painting and showing my work. But this school insisted! What I was doing was redundant, and should be done with a camera. I should switch my medium to something more modern, something more hip, like installation or video or performance. But I’m a painter!, I insisted. No longer the naive freshman, I fought all my professors and gave up on the school. I would re-apply to master’s programs and find a place where I would never have to hear the term “conceptual art” again.
I found the complete opposite of where I was, and once again I was uprooting my life in hopes of finding what I was looking for, that magical place that would teach me everything I wanted to know about art and technique.
Life is full of disappointment, and so is art school. The school that was suppose to teach me everything about painting, to make me a better painter, to stand alone in a world where conceptual rules over technical; what a let down. It was the same old song. They wanted you to paint just like they did, and if you didn’t, well, let’s just say it was a tough two years.
So what did I learn? I learned that if you want to learn how to do something, teach yourself how to do it, because that’s what I did, and my friends did, and that’s the only way to become the kind of artist you want to be. Art is not taught in schools any more. If you can prove me wrong, and find the perfect place that has everything you could ever want, props to you; you found the unicorn. But if you’re like me, and the majority, don’t rely on someone else to teach you how to be an artist. At the end of it all, what should you do?
MAKE ART!!!!
But at the same time, if you can do anything else, do it, too!