Hot take: I don't think giving up on my art degree was a failure.

My professor in a Chicago studio told me my work was 'too literal' and lacked a 'cohesive vision', which felt like a final verdict. I left that program and started my moving company, but I still paint landscapes for myself every Sunday morning. Does anyone else find their old dream still fits into life, just in a different shape?

3 comments

3 Comments

danielnelson15d ago

I mean, maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't even call that giving up. Sounds like you just changed the frame. That professor had one very specific idea of what art should be, like it all has to be some deep statement. But painting landscapes because you want to, with no grade hanging over it? That's the real deal. Your moving company pays the bills so your Sunday painting doesn't have to. That's a win, not a failure.

miles_hall14d ago

Totally get that. My photography professor said the same junk about "meaning." Now I just shoot old cars I like, no pressure. Keeping it separate from my day job made it fun again.

the_tyler14d ago

Exactly. Turning a hobby into a job kills the joy.