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Expert Advice About Getting the Most From Art College

Posted by Designer Meetup in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX on Oct 30, 2008

I have first hand experience as an art college student. I was successful and actually obtained a degree in Art and have worked for many years using that degree. I am not sure what I expected when I decided to obtain an Art Degree. I wasn't even sure I had what it took to be a decent artist or make it through art college. I just knew I loved art. I certainly had no idea what it would take to make it but then who knows what art college or any College is really going to be like?

Let me give you some idea of what my experience was like so you can succeed too. Follow these simple rules and you will have the best possible success.

Practice, practice, practice. If you aren't practicing the basics you aren't going to get the full benefit of an art college. Art is about seeing and communicating. Drawing is basic to every field of art. If you don't have basic drawing skills you aren't training yourself to see. Approach art daily in some form.

Take advantage of every opportunity given to you. Step out of the box and do it now. Art and the disciplines it supports - graphics, game design, interiors, fashion, food - is not about being in the studio all day. Art needs outside information and stimulation. That means looking for inspiration from speakers, writers, events, and places. When the opportunity to visit a studio comes along, take it. When the opportunity comes along for some freelance work as a student, take it. If no opportunities show up, make your own.

Focus on building a foundation. The ability to think and see in terms of art is a foundational tool. That means if you can think this way people will hire you for other jobs that require creativity, visual skills and out of the box thinking. There is no better foundation than the arts.

Get a different point of view. One of the worst things you can do is focus so long and so hard on something that it turns into a point of frustration. Walking away from a project and giving yourself a day away or even a few hours away can change your prospective, it can change the way the project looks. Change where you are working, how you are working and the time of day you are working. It can take time to find your strengths.

It doesn't happen over night. A life time in the arts is a journey. You will often find crossroads and choices about direction will need to be made. Make them as an informed participant. Be curious and uncover the truth in your subjects.

Begin looking for a job now. Working in your field while you are in school will put you ahead of the big game. It will build a sense of personal strength and self-assurance in your art form and interactions with employers and clients. The hardest part about all of this is finding a job with an Art College degree. There are many but they are not necessarily recognizable to the untrained eye.