So, You Want to be an Art Student?

Every art student once asked themselves “is this what really what I want for my future?” I was there. My peers were there. It’s a hard decision. In high school every one pressures you to find your place and figure out what you should do for the rest of your life. You’re excited about graduation, but freaking out about the future. What if you choose the wrong major? The wrong school? It all gets very overwhelming very quickly.

Sit down and think about it. What are your interests and what makes you happy? Do you see yourself going somewhere else or do you want to stay in your hometown? All of these answers can change over time – mine sure did. No answer needs to be your final answer, but it’s good to have an idea.

If you are having any thoughts about being an art student the first thing to do is not listen to the stereotype. When I was considering it a lot of my extended family asked “what are you going to do with that?” and “do you not want to make any money?” or one of my favorites “you know you’ll have to move to New York or California to ever get a career to take off?”. The fact was I had no idea what I wanted to do with my eventual career, but I did want to make money and I did not want to leave my small, one traffic light home town. What these people did not realize was they were scaring me from doing something I really believed was right for me. If an art major is in your thoughts go to people that you know will support you – an art teacher, your parents, art peers, or anyone else you share your passion with. They will know your capabilities the best, and will know how to talk to you rationally (and chances are if you are open with these people, you’ll feel comfortable to tell them when they are making negative comments and not being helpful – I had to tell my Dad that a few times, and it got him to realize what he was saying was not helpful).

I have considered myself an artist for years. From the time I could pick up a crayon I found an interest in it, and lucky for me the majority of my family always encouraged me to continue it. Deciding to make your art a career does not mean you will be a “starving artist” or that you need to move to the other side of the country to an over populated city (unless that’s what you want, of course). Art can be created anywhere. Finding a job is all about mindset. If you believe you will have a future in art, then you will. Confidence is key, and deciding on an art major will take a lot of confidence.

No matter what major you decide on you need to be confident in your decision. Any major can be up for debate on what future job you plan on having. Don’t let others discourage you because they are going to be a nurse and you want to do something else with your life (not that being a nurse is a bad thing!).