She turned her face seaward to gather in an impression of space and solitude, which the vast expanse of water, meeting and melting with the moonlit sky, conveyed to her excited fancy. As she swam she seemed to be reaching out for the unlimited in which to lose herself. - Kate Chopin, The Awakening (via oceanofmind)

1. It is ok to make “bad” work, but you need to recognize that “bad” work doesn’t mean “no effort” it just means “something that didn’t pan out the way i wanted it to” this is how you learn.
2. experiment with every assignment! you are so young and it is not an expectation that all your work look the same or you deal with a “theme”. Deal with the things that come into your head as they come and don’t push any of them away. Things will all coalese later.
3. make a LOT OF WORK JUST TO MAKE A LOT OF WORK FOR YOURSELF. This is the work that will save you when you are torn apart in critique, this is the work that you can have for yourself, this is the work that will be just for you. This is the most important work you will make, the work you will never show anyone.
4.Take photographs every day. Take photographs you love. Just for you. If you want to show them to other people, that is ok.
5. Don’t rush a body of work. If you don’t finish it, that is ok, as long as you put in the earnest effort to get it to a point where you have a clearer understanding of your intentions. Realize there is life after undergrad and you can continually go back to work.
6. Sometimes less is more.
7. Honesty and Earnest working habits will get you farther than art bullshit.
8. Make friends with your teachers and talk to them often. They have been exactly where you are.
9. Be a good influence on others and constantly give more than you get. It’s ok. People will remember that you helped them and they will be more likely to help you when you really need it.
10. Be the positive force in the classroom. If someone is being beat up in crit, find something positive to say. Put yourself in their position. Realize that norms are set on the first day of class. Speak Up. If you don’t do it, no one else will. Get up. Engage others. Be excited. These things make a difference. A positive attitude will carry you further than a negative one. -

Elle. (via ninaperlman)

so here’s the story with this. I wrote this a while ago for nina when she was just accepted to mica, and then forgot it. and now i am a senior and even though I wrote this I still need to take my own advice and remember all of these things.

i was thinking about making a zine about people’s advice for young art students so if anyone wants to do that with me yeah lets do that too.

(via elleperez)

i still have this on a sticky note on my desktop, as well as copied into my current notebook.

(via ninaperlman)

I’m ALIVE. Thinking about it, noticing it, is new. You do things and don’t watch. Then all of a sudden you look and see what you’re doing and it’s the first time, really. - Dandelion Wine, Ray Bradbury (via fuckyeahliteraryquotes)

(via dreamhunters)

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