WD Art Students

Anyone else here an art student like I am? Or have you finished your art studies and perhaps pursued a career already? Or are you still dreaming about being an art student, or are you just curious about it? 

This is the 7th year I'm studying art, I was hoping to graduate next spring but crap happened and I'm going for my "extra fifth year". But to be honest. I just have been an art student for so long that at this point it's part of my identity and how one day I am "just an artist" kinda makes me nervous :'DDDDDD 

Still dreaming of actually studying (can't really afford to do so for a while). I'd love to study character design. For now I scribble/doodle wolves/dogs and rats lol.

Former art student here! I finished my BA in animation last year. I haven't done much work since then and this entire year kinda was a bust too, but I'm glad I at least got the studies out of the way lol.

Former! I graduated two years ago with my BA in Digital Arts (alongside another major heh). I was lucky enough to find an apprenticeship with a virtual animation studio while still in school, and I still work for them now (kinda, sorta, with covid and all).

Dont feel bad about needing more time! I took six years to graduate, I essentially had to take a year just for mental health. It was after i returned that I came across my boss giving a seminar to one of my classes, so great things can happen, don’t you worry. Pursue what you’re passionate about, tend to your hobbies with love, and don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith every once in a while. <3

Former art student! Graduated in May with my BFA in photography! Currently working a full time job in a warehouse for a major photo equipment retailer so I can get money to upgrade my gear a bit and have income while I try to figure out how to go about making money from my work. (I do post on Instagram and if anyone wants to message me I will give you my url! Hopefully soon I will have a real website up and running.)

And don't feel bad about needing extra time, I changed my major after 2 years and nothing but the gen eds transferred so I had an extra year. But ya know, it can be a saving grace cause I met friends after changing majors who I may not have had classes with if I'd changed earlier or later, so maybe taking the extra time will give you the chance to meet some new lifelong friends!

does it count if you are trying to teach yourself cause you cant afford schooling? I'd love to do schooling but it is beyond my reach but I'm trying to teach myself 

I'm not feeling bad, as it's very common in my country that people need to go for an extra year. Not just in the art field, but other fields in the university of applied sciences. Amongst all school work, I'm also required to get about 810 hours of some kind of internship experience which is.. a lot. At what time I'm supposed to do that if I've school every week and need rest too at times? :''DDDD

I'm just a little sad about it as my friends will be graduating in time, most likely at least.

And self-studying is valid too! Especially how there is a lot of good and free tutorials available. And art school as an environment might not even suit everyone anyway. It really depends on the teachers, but at least in Finland most higher education art schools are focused more on the fine arts - so digtal art and such are not much understood. 

Self-studying is incredible, use all the resources you can, practice, push your boundaries, and ask your peers for feedback and advice! I’m a firm believer that the arts are a skill where you can become as skilled outside of school as you can inside, it’s just that one of them gets you a degree. 

For sure! School just does help a lot as you are in an environment where you get a lot of feedback, which can be hard to receive online if you are getting smacked by the algorithm. Having your peers comment on your work and teachers guiding you makes things better for sure, but it's not needed to be successful. Just try to sometimes push yourself out of your comfort zone, try different things and do lightning, anatomy etc studies.

I'm currently in my second year of being a Fine Arts Major!  :D