In yesterday’s post, I considered some of the most common misconceptions of life as an artist, many of these held by artists themselves. Included in the list is going to art school. 

I wanted to post an elaboration on that point, because I think it merits some clarification. I don’t believe going to art school is necessary for an artist to learn to make a living from her art. This doesn’t mean that I don’t see the benefits of going at all. 

If ever there was one thing I’ve wanted more of most of my life, it’s school. I love the structure it provides, the foundations that are somehow what I have the hardest time grasping outside of the classroom, the challenge, the opportunities and the excuse to sit still for hours at a time and learn new things.

I love school. But looking at my own experience, since I have none other to speak from, I can say that school, for me, was an excuse.  

Since beginning to chart my own path in life a year ago, I’ve seen how severely I lacked confidence. I was confident in living my daily life, but I had sub-zero confidence that I could actually build something from the ground up myself. 

So little belief in my abilities did I have that I never even gave it a thought, and just continued looking to school to train me for a better job. 

When school became a practical impossibility was the only time I was forced to look in instead of out for my talents and determine to drag the potential out of myself. 

Not everyone has an issue with self confidence. And not everyone’s chosen career path is possible without school. But most of the time, an artist’s is. 

The fact that an equally, and I would argue,  often more successful art career is extremely possible without art school is enough reason for me to see school as, at least in part, an excuse not to do the hard work myself.

I decided to go through each of the benefits (I could think of) of art school and come up with an equal or better alternative. 

Here’s what I came up with.

The Fundamentals 

Available in abundance online and anywhere books are found.Alternative : a healthy dose of research.

A Community

Available and usually immensely supportive and efficient in every urban environment, not to mention online options

Alternative : Start seeking out local artistic events and show up. Join online artistic communities and engage on a regular basis.

Structure

A tough one. Resources include online courses from like-minded leaders/teachers, schedules, deadlines, mindfulness training.

Alternative : Take an ecourse like the ones Alyson Stanfield offers at ArtBiz Coach. Create a schedule and stick to it. Pair yourself with a friend who is in school and feed off their structure. Better yet, partner with another artist and use your combined strengths to create a program for yourselves.

Networking Connections

Alternative : Begin to follow trends on networks like Twitter, Google +, even Facebook to find out what people are saying about particular fields and facets of art that you’re interested in. Seek out media and publications, digital or print, where intriguing conversations are taking place. Follow them, learn from them. And then contribute to them. Go to events in your area. Make friends. Be vocal about what you’re doing, but not arrogant or assuming. This part is easy, if you have the courage and confidence in your work.

Career Help

Alternative : Go here, here, here, here, here and/or here.  Read, listen, apply, engage.

Exposure

Alternative : Use tools on the web (as well as your new connections) to find calls for artists, to become aware of venues and other unique spaces created for artistic use and promotion in your area, and to determine which of those venues is appropriate for your art work. Post your work in online communities in an elegant, non-spammy way. The list goes on … . 

A note here. Do not ask for or attempt exposure without showing an appreciation for the exposure of other artists. Cultivate a spirit of ENGAGEMENT with other artists and their work, similar and vastly different 

Relationships

Alternative : Once you’ve begun taking the steps mentioned above, you’ll naturally find yourself drawn to a few mentors and friends. Some will be further along than you. Learn from them, support and share their work. Some will be in a similar position in the journey. Align with them, bounce ideas off them, become friends, and you’ll find that down the road, there may be opportunities to work together on a project or two. These relationships will be the most valuable asset to you outside of yourself over the course of your creative journey. Don’t take them lightly. Seek them out and nurture them. 

In the end, what will you really get from art school that you can’t find in podcasts, TED talks, other artists online and off, and every bit of internal force you can muster?

Would you be willing to comment with your initial thoughts?

(Source: artschool)