Best Three Pieces of Advice

As part of semester two I have to write about the best three pieces of advice that I have been given for my blog. When on a degree you are always been given advice from tutors, visiting artists and also your classmates, some of it just becomes a blur but other pieces of advice really stick with you and have a lasting impact on you and your work.

1.  Draw every day- Everyone says that it is important to draw everyday, including tutors and artists but I never really followed this advice until I noticed that I just didn’t feel as comfortable drawing as I used too, I remember that in school I was always drawing and doodling when I should have been doing algebra or learning about atoms and then I would stop drawing over the summer holidays and then when I started my AS I noticed that for the first couple of months I just couldn’t get back into drawing and as soon as I felt comfortable again it would be summer and again I would stop, it was just a constant circle. However since I have started to draw everyday with the personal passions brief I can feel and see a different in my drawing, so as it is my final year of my degree this September I am going to especially try hard to draw over summer.

2. Don’t worry if you haven’t found your own style yet- I’ve always been worried about finding my own style and what I want to do as a career. When I did my art foundation people always said this is the year when you find out what you want to do and find your own style. Although I did find that I was really interested in surface design and find the right course for me, I didn’t find my own style. I then went to university and in my first year again didn’t find my own style, and now nearing the end of my second year I still don’t fell as if I have found my own style. I think that this is because I’m always changing my style sometimes I draw, sometimes paint, also collage then I also sew and print, so for me I find it difficult to settle on just one practice or technique, as I want to experiment with different techniques and materials. Every artist that has come in to talk to use over the past year have all said, don’t worry if you haven’t found your own style yet, as they didn’t when they were in the same situation as us, only time and experimenting will help us achieve our own style of art.

3.  Don’t give up!- Although sometimes I do feel that I’m in out of my depths and am worried about finding a job after the degree is over, don’t give up! Art is something that I have always been passionate about and without it I have no idea what I would be doing with my life, I always knew that I wanted to do something in art but just didn’t know what, now I have finally found an art course that is right for me and I do want to work for a stationary company like paperchase or bellybutton would be my ‘dream’ job.  And just because it is difficult to find jobs for graduates at the moment don’t give up!