CG's Top 12 Tips to Art School

At the end of each semester, I give my students my top 12 tips for art school. Here’s what I share with them:
 

1. Keep a sketchbook for every year. Fill it with ideas, even when you don't have to.

2. Collaborate with someone you think you have nothing in common with - you might be surprised what you find out about yourself and your work.

3. Keep a happy folder! Of anything anyone has said that's positive about your work - look at it on days when you question yourself. We all have those days!

4. Don't sacrifice any one part of your creativity. If you like music, make music. If you like to write, write. These things will find their way into your work and make it yours.

5. Write down 10 things you think you know about yourself now as an artist. Save this list and look at it on graduation day.

6. Find a faculty-member you connect with and continue to involve them in your work. Ask for advice when you need it.

7. Use the Library! Wander it, discover things, be a nerd! READ even if it's not about art.

8. Try a medium that's totally foreign to you, something you think you're not "good" at. Do it right now.

9. Listen collaboratively - ask a friend to take notes for you during critiques to help hear feedback more accurately. It's always hard to listen in the moment.

10. Adopt the mindset of a beginner - there is always something learn, even when you think you have all the answers.

11. Know the difference between a "hater" and a critic. Haters want to see you fail, critics want to help you grow. 

and most importantly....

12. Have fun: Art-making is about thinking but also about joy, and humor, and absurdity. Don't lose sight of what art is about for you, don't let art-making get too serious and wear you down. Have FUN!