Note from Sooyeon: “I don't think portfolio pieces and personal art are mutually exclusive. Sometimes work can be work and art can be art and that's ok, some people appreciate the technicality of it all and some people like the personal touch. I would hope one can create greatness with both personality and technical achievement.”
I'm working with so many things involving art. But I think I lost my dream trying to earn a living. I wanted to create comics and books that could touch people's hearts, but it's been 28 years and I haven't even started yet. I tried to consolidate my career, earn a monthly income, and I always put that idea aside. It's as if they called me into a different universe. I hope to be able to consolidate and realize this fictional world
So real!! I'm in my last semester of school and only now realized that I could have been more patient with the crazy art teachers and experimental stuff I wrote off in the first year. I still got a portfolio - a year of work and you can have one. But random classes that introduce you to things you wouldn't find out about are gone after this study phase. Wish I was more chill and less work focused earlier on.
Hone your craft. Push your creative limits. Network like crazy. Learn every position on set. It's an expensive way to find yourself, but has many values. We live in a time where you can get the same education from YouTube. The value I got from film school was in the connections made and the experience on set. Overall, loved it. Expensive... :)
I also wrote things off too quickly sometimes when I was in art school, when I had a photography course I really didn’t like it and said I would never do it again. 10 years later I bought a camera and posted some pictures on instagram. My teacher commented “I knew you would get into it eventually!” I had completely forgotten that I had been so against it. I think being forced to do it was what made it hard for me to like it, probably because it was part of a pile of other stuff that was also mandatory.
Whoa that’s such a sweet interaction, thanks for sharing! Yeah I can definitely relate - I’ve always had a pretty anti-authority attitude so part of being mandatory definitely made it less appealing (I only started liking and attending life drawing regularly once those classes stopped being mandatory haha)
I used to hate photography so much, because I thought it was too easy and that real art was drawing what you saw and not just taking a photo. But pictures are such a quick way to turn a moment into an image and the process and journey of going outside to find moments to photograph is so worth it!
Nice essay , I just joined substack on a whim, and this reminded me of when I graduated college for 2D animation about 5 years ago how I felt so many classes were pointless but the overarching goal of making films is what kept me going! Unfortunately couldn't keep my portfolio site running due to other pressures now with life , but I still dabble in creating artwork when I can. It ain't easy to pursue this career especially when I'm not surrounded by a lot of creatives, but couldn't imagine any other career path than this one.
Thank you so much for writing this! When your goal is to get a job it can be really hard to enjoy the art you’re making and create for yourself. In fact, I think I only REALLY started to give myself freedom in the art I created once I was out of school and forced to ask myself what I really want outside of completing a class.
Note from Sooyeon: “I don't think portfolio pieces and personal art are mutually exclusive. Sometimes work can be work and art can be art and that's ok, some people appreciate the technicality of it all and some people like the personal touch. I would hope one can create greatness with both personality and technical achievement.”
I'm working with so many things involving art. But I think I lost my dream trying to earn a living. I wanted to create comics and books that could touch people's hearts, but it's been 28 years and I haven't even started yet. I tried to consolidate my career, earn a monthly income, and I always put that idea aside. It's as if they called me into a different universe. I hope to be able to consolidate and realize this fictional world
That's such a good point and sounds like such a tough situation! It can definitely be a tightrope to walk, but I think it's never too late to start!
So real!! I'm in my last semester of school and only now realized that I could have been more patient with the crazy art teachers and experimental stuff I wrote off in the first year. I still got a portfolio - a year of work and you can have one. But random classes that introduce you to things you wouldn't find out about are gone after this study phase. Wish I was more chill and less work focused earlier on.
Ahhh there’s always time to experiment and do some fun stuff! Plus, you’re already making a film!! That’s way more than “just a portfolio” haha
That's true haha but that's in my last year of college, first years were filled with "useless" classes. Glad to be done tho
Hone your craft. Push your creative limits. Network like crazy. Learn every position on set. It's an expensive way to find yourself, but has many values. We live in a time where you can get the same education from YouTube. The value I got from film school was in the connections made and the experience on set. Overall, loved it. Expensive... :)
Hahah expensive is such a good summary of the experience!
I also wrote things off too quickly sometimes when I was in art school, when I had a photography course I really didn’t like it and said I would never do it again. 10 years later I bought a camera and posted some pictures on instagram. My teacher commented “I knew you would get into it eventually!” I had completely forgotten that I had been so against it. I think being forced to do it was what made it hard for me to like it, probably because it was part of a pile of other stuff that was also mandatory.
Great piece Wren! :- )
Whoa that’s such a sweet interaction, thanks for sharing! Yeah I can definitely relate - I’ve always had a pretty anti-authority attitude so part of being mandatory definitely made it less appealing (I only started liking and attending life drawing regularly once those classes stopped being mandatory haha)
Oh gosh ahaha
Maybe it's part of an artist's soul to be anti authority
I used to hate photography so much, because I thought it was too easy and that real art was drawing what you saw and not just taking a photo. But pictures are such a quick way to turn a moment into an image and the process and journey of going outside to find moments to photograph is so worth it!
Nice essay , I just joined substack on a whim, and this reminded me of when I graduated college for 2D animation about 5 years ago how I felt so many classes were pointless but the overarching goal of making films is what kept me going! Unfortunately couldn't keep my portfolio site running due to other pressures now with life , but I still dabble in creating artwork when I can. It ain't easy to pursue this career especially when I'm not surrounded by a lot of creatives, but couldn't imagine any other career path than this one.
Thank you so much for writing this! When your goal is to get a job it can be really hard to enjoy the art you’re making and create for yourself. In fact, I think I only REALLY started to give myself freedom in the art I created once I was out of school and forced to ask myself what I really want outside of completing a class.