Misnomer

I’ve missed a few instalments and for that I am sorry. Real life issues adding into what was already a pretty hectic weekend.

“Bow down, lowly peons!” Or not…

I think that I may be coming across as slightly more smug than is the case. Talking with the other students and staff at college I always find myself feeling that they’re disingenuous but with almost all the students on my current course, that’s simply not the case. They’re interested in what they’re doing but their overall aim is something massively different to mine. The work I am doing justifies itself to me as with anything else (be it research/whatever I’ve ranted about before). I am not doing the work to get a degree, grade or job – it is of interest to me on a personal level. The majority of students I meet treat their subject matter as a weapon of choice with which to obtain what they really want. What they really want seems to consist of the following:

The gratification that comes from a job well done.
A pat on the back from tutors.
A career that guarantees the happiness they’ve been promised would come with higher education.
Kudos and/or the appearance of being ‘an artist’ (and therefore dynamic, intelligent and mysterious to the lowly outsiders).
Simply to avoid having to get a job or make any adult decisions.

The first is normally found in the mature students and students that have come from design courses. Sacrificing performance to course criteria in favour of something exciting and interesting to you personally is beyond their understanding. When the aforementioned idea is finally conveyed to these students it is met with a kind of sympathetic condescension. “Bless… You’ll realise and get it right eventually” is the vibe I get. This assumption that there is a universal standard of right or wrong normally accompanies the desire to do well in my experience. Instead of discussion you’re told how to ‘do it right’ instead of whatever silliness you’re already engaged in.

I could go on to discuss all of the list at length but they aren’t the focus of what I’m trying to say. I am much more selfish in my activities than these other people. This attitude is almost self-destructive when I think about what possible careers or pathways it leaves me with after I have to leave the studio space. Being this selfish allows me to set the objectives of the work itself take priority over anything else thus giving me access to a level of freedom that is what I can’t help but think anyone working in a creative practise would want. I see it as being on the same level as financial freedom whereby the cost of things wouldn’t be a concern when it came to making work, and who wouldn’t want that?

“The Little Draw”

The drawing project we were set has come to a successful conclusion in my case. I am late handing in my submission (tomorrow as opposed to Monday) and I don’t honestly believe the format that the work is in will be received well by the tutors. The success, therefore, lies in the drawings I shall scan in tomorrow. I won’t go on at length tonight since, without the images, anything I say is pointless. Be satisfied with the promise of something solid to actually look at tomorrow instead of all this babble.