Is collage the right place for an artist?

Hi Kevin,

I believe college is the right place for everyone! I understand that you feel that you already have the skills required to be successful and you might be right, but college might open your eyes to something you hadn't even thought of before! College can open the door to whichever career path you choose, and help you expand on the skills you already have as an artist. My experience in college helped me develop my own passion, and beyond that I met so many incredible people who helped me become a better version of myself and are still in my life today.

Whatever you decide to do, bring your whole self and you will be successful! Good luck, Kevin!

Katie

Are you an Artist?

The one big question that you must answer. What art have you done? Do you have examples? Who do you think is a great artist?

Now that you want to just go off and live off of your art, the question is: What do you do when your work is not selling?

Many have entered the art field and you hear stories of the starving Artist passed around and the many who have failed and the few who became famous.

One thing to remember is, that art is subjective. One person my love your art, while many may not, and this can work the opposite way also.

• Who in the art field have you studied? Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Vincent van Gogh,
• Leonardo da Vinci, Matisse, Claude Monet, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso?
• And I could go on.
• But you get the idea, I hope. This does not mean that you should become them but to know your contemporaries is very important.
• Know their work.
• Know what the golden mean (ratio) is.

One thing you have that no one else has: Your imagination and your creativity. These two things are yours and yours alone. Do not be the next Leonardo, be you. But study the greats.

Remember: Nothing is free! What are you willing to give to be a great?

One other thing: If you like something, never change it for anyone!

There are many things to consider when making this decision, and I am so glad that you took the time to ask. Given that I don't know what kind of artist you are referring to, it might be difficult to narrow my answer. That being said, being artistic is great, as not everyone is. So, let me try to cover a few things to help you in your search:

1) There are many avenues for artists and it will depend on your strengths. So first you have to ask yourself that question. What are my strengths?

2) You have to ask yourself - Can I make money doing exactly what I want to do? and

3) Can I incorporate my strengths into something that I can be happy with (and make money at) while I pursue what I love?

Pursuing a college career that will leave you thousands in debt, but doesn't allow you to utilize your degree to pay off that debt and also survive independently would be self defeating. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/17/how-student-loans-are-making-some-people-abandon-their-dreams.html

But don't give up hope on college yet. Here is a great article on college degrees that may inspire you: https://www.bestcollegesonline.org/highest-paying-jobs/arts-majors/

A couple avenues this article doesn't mention is Architecture and Engineering.

This is where your strengths will come in, which will help you in your decision as to what path you should follow. Ultimately the choice is yours, and you can do anything you put your mind to. The best decision is an informed decision.

A few things I would suggest:

1) Look at the forecasting demands of the career path(s) you are most interested in, and

2) College cost versus income ratio for your desired career path(s)

3) Get involved locally with other artists that share your passion and ask them if/how they were able make a living or what made them fail.

4) Check to see if your community or local library offers any STEAM or STEM programs. The libraries in my county offers these programs under STEAM for free; as a way to get students involved in testing out different programs of interest.

I hoped this helped you at least narrow your focus in lieu of a direct answer. That answer can only come from you. Do your homework. Knowledge is power.