What to expect when you go to Art School
The do's and don'ts and everything in between
My experience of the first year
I don't know about you but when I was looking for information about Art School before just getting thrown into the deep end, I really struggled to find anything that was even remotely relevant, to help me know what to expect.
So, I got you. In this blog, I want to give you a little insider look into what Art School is like and give you some tips on how to make it through.
A quick disclaimer, I live in Scotland so my experience is specific to Art Schools in Scotland, so I don't know to what extent it is transferable to Art Schools in other countries, however that being said my Art School does have a lot of connections with Art Schools across Europe, North America and Oceania, which has led me to believe that even though there are of course differences in approach there are also areas of overlap.
The course I chose to do was Fine Art, which is know in my University as Contemporary Art Practice.
Let's kick off with a list of Don'ts
learn from my mistakes, seriously!
I have always thought it is so important to be open about the hard things, sometimes we get so overwhelmed when we look at other artists or influencers that present this picture perfect (Distorted!) reality and we forget that they are human too, so I am going to be real with you, Art School is not a bougie, easy breezy experience that leads you to live a glamorous four years in which you experience all fun and no tears.
Trust me, I have already had a lot of tears, because it is hard. Your lecturers and tutors don't hold your hand, in fact if anything they push you further out of you comfort zone than you ever wanted to venture. You don't get a brief, so it is up to you to decide what kind of art you want to create, which is liberating and gives you so many opportunities, but the flip side (Which I really struggled with) is that you get lost and unsure of what you want to do.
For me this was probably the most challenging part, I ended up feeling like a kid in a sweetie shop, completely overwhelmed with excitement at all my ideas... really, just take a look at the work I made that year. Don't get me wrong I am proud of it all, but will I ever make work like that again? Honestly, not likely.
But that being said, I wouldn't take it back because I had fun, I tried new materials and did workshops in Print, Ceramics and best of all learned to make my own stretcher/ canvas. Yes, I learned how to take a bunch of bits of wood put them together and stretch a bit of canvas over it (And best of all use a stapling gun)
On top of that, I had a tutor who ended up giving me even more ideas, which on one hand was great but also pushed me into directions that I would have naturally avoided. Which forced me to fight for my voice, and eventually choose the direction I actually wanted to go into.
So my biggest don't is, don't get too overwhelmed and excited at all the possibilities, stay true to your style and your voice and find your way to the exciting things that feel true to you.
Here is a list of Do's
Don't get to distracted by all the don'ts that I listed and think that Art School is only hard and that there is nothing fun about it. That could not be further from the truth, but in order to not hit the panic stage and cry more than the necessary amount here are some tips to make it easier for you to manage your time and build a sustainable practice.
My tutor said to me in my second week of Art School: "You are not a student, but a practicing artist." At first this made me a little angry and very confused but I have started to understand what she meant.
The thing with an art degree is that you are training to be an artist. You are probably thinking, well duh! However, this sometimes gets a little bit lost, when you are surrounded by students who have about eleven hours of lectures a week (In art school you get maybe five a week at a stretch) before you start cheering and think you scored the jackpot, don't forget that there is a studio in your course and you are expected to spend about twelve hours a week in it.
The important and hard part is to be scheduling your time wisely. Now if you are like me scheduling time sounds like great fun, if you aren't like me and making a schedule makes you want to cry, then go ahead, cry, but that doesn't change the fact that once you have taken a moment to cry, you have to pick yourself up and make that schedule. Think about what times of the day you are most productive, what days of the week are you going to have to sacrifice to spend time in the studio, you guessed it, working!
Another top tip, is too not let the overwhelm get to you in the first two weeks of the semester. Remind yourself that it is normal to feel a little bit lost and stuck but just start making a plan. Write down ALL your ideas, whether realistic or not and pick what you are going to dive into. Remember, do what YOU are passionate about. Then (at least for me) the next step is to make the to-do lists for the semester, write what you have to do each week, and how many pieces of resolved work you want to complete. This can be one or multiple, this will depend on what your practice looks like.
The point I am trying to make with this is that consistency is key, trust me, you do not want to get to a month before assessments and realise that you have no work to show. Art needs time... so give yourself plenty!
And my final tip (which is something I am still working on mastering) is learn to love your sketch work. I hate it, but I am working at getting better at it. I am finding ways in which I like to sketch -> sometimes this involves a lot of writing. The more you sketch the more your ideas start flowing and the more inspired you feel so sketch away!
My overall opinion of the experience so far
So to sum up what you can expect from Art School:
Expect a lot of hard work with moments where you have to push through not wanting to paint/draw/sculpt/print anymore but doing it anyway.
Expect to learn how to build a routine for yourself. No one else is going to schedule your hours.
Expect to have a studio space where you do most of your practical work. This may seem a little bit intimidating at first, but trust me it starts to feel more and more like a home away from home as the weeks progress. Not to hate on my studio space this year (how could I it is in every respect an upgrade) but I miss the space I was in last year and all the time I got to spend there.
Expect to be confused and for it to take a while to settle in and find your own groove and way of working. It is okay to feel lost, as long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other, eventually you will look back and realise that you are way ahead of where you started the first day.
And lastly, something that is so important is to celebrate your wins. Celebrate moving into your space and making it your own. Celebrate the work you have made, the good and the not so good. And most importantly celebrate when you meet your deadlines and have submitted your work for the Semester!
Joëlle Brandes 09.11.2024
charcoal dancers
