I started art school

This entry was posted on October 4, 2022, in AMYgdala-la-la-land, art. Bookmark the permalink. 7 Comments

I actually started art school in Fall of 2020, but that year was completely nuts, so I’m just getting around to writing about it now. I probably should have tried art school a LONG time ago, but as I am learning, so many people bypass a potential career in art because it’s not exactly highest on the list of lucrative career choices. I’ve decided to try it now, albeit late. I am pursuing an MFA degree; a graduate degree that focuses more on advancing creative skills and less on research and theory. At this point in my degree progress, I need to start working on what I am going to paint for my thesis project, and what I want to communicate to the world with my art.

After some discussions with my thesis preparation professor, I concluded that I am most comfortable, (at this point anyway) painting still life and will focus my efforts on that. Exactly what I want to communicate with still life is another hurdle to overcome.

While I’m painting, I often listen to audio books and podcasts. Some of my favorites are: https://www.creativepeptalk.com

https://the-lisa-congdon-sessions.simplecast.com,

https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/magic-lessons/

Somewhere in the mix of these podcasts and audiobooks, I heard someone say that many artists just want to be seen. A bell went off in my head at this. YES!!! This is me!!! I want to be seen…even though I spend most of my time hiding out alone in my bedroom wearing gray. I want to be seen and understood and appreciated. I want my life to matter or count for something. I want it to be important.

When I think about what I might want to communicate to the world, my experiences with depression and feeling like complete sh*t about myself, seem to be screaming to be heard. Here are some of those things:

-Rejection does not mean you are unworthy, it just means something is askew; you can keep working at it or change directions.

-Life is made up of good and bad. It’s okay to let yourself feel the bad and find the good in it. You can use it as fuel for change.

-It’s not always about the final destination. Snippets of beauty, humor and joy can be found sneaking around in everyday mundane things… the way two colors look together, the extra surprise of chocolate at the bottom of the ice-cream cone, the window cleaning aisle at the grocery store.

-You are important

-You are worthy

-You are loved

And so, THIS is what I will try to communicate to the world, and to myself…with fruit…

7 thoughts on “I started art school”

  4. Art is art and we all need to be creative, especially Lucky Wrecks (I think just this name alone is what drew me to your blog!) like we are. That’s what I’ve learned recently and is also why I am back to writing, and posting a little, again. IDK if you’ll have time or interest to check out what I’ve been doing, but here’s the link to my blog https://hbsuefred.com/ where my experience over the last few years is summarized.

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  5. Wow, that still life of apples is beautiful! Painted in oils?

    I did a fine art degree many years ago, & now I write instead of making art – so I get that “need to be seen” – I always think of it as a desire to communicate something about my experience of life.

    “Rejection does not mean you are unworthy, it just means something is askew; you can keep working at it or change directions.” so true. And the “something askew” might simply mean that the other party (the rejector) isn’t the right match for what you’re trying to do, or, for who you are.

    One way to find out what you want to communicate is to think about the still lives by other artists that you really respond to, & try to think about what they say to you!

    Good luck with the MFA!

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