by Jared Steinberg

Created on: December 15, 2008

Assuming you are thinking of attending art school or are already committed to one, here are a few things that you may want keep in your back pocket. Hopefully, you have done your homework and are enrolled in an institution that is suited to both challenge and guide you in the pursuit of your dreams and goals. Not everyone is lucky enough or fortunate enough to be in the perfect place at the perfect time. Regardless of the situation you find yourself in, your job is simple- you are here to make the most of this opportunity. If you are open, you may very well learn things that serve you well beyond academia.

Art school is a unique opportunity to have the necessary time and space to absorb all you can, without the pressures and demands of the real world. It is a time to freely explore the possibilities within the field of art. This freedom will eventually become more difficult to find as you grow older and your life becomes exponentially more complicated. So make sure you get all you can from this experience, dear artist, for the time is now. Think of it as an incubator for your creative soul whether you are choosing to be a painter, sculptor, illustrator, the next Picasso, or the next Walt Disney. The following words of encouragement come from my experience at Arizona State University where I earned a bachelors degree in Studio Art and made plenty of mistakes during my time there. Not making the most of my experience has certainly made an impact on my road to becoming a full-time artist so I pass this along to you in hopes of making your experience a better one.

The first thing you must realize is you will likely face challenges wherever you go. You may encounter teachers you don't mesh with, for example, or subject matters that you may find trivial or too challenging to bother with. Never let your interest level in a particular class dictate the commitment you make to that class. This is a great life's lesson, as you will certainly encounter things in the real world that are seemingly mundane or complicated that you would sooner walk away from. Make an effort to treat every class, teacher, subject matter and project with the same time and attention you would your own masterpiece. It is your responsibility to reframe a situation to find something valuable in it. I'm not implying everything you take from an experience will be positive, but ultimately, you will learn to discern what lessons are worth keeping and what lessons simply don't support your style. This

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