5 things I'd tell 14 y.o. myself who studied in art school

✦ EVERYTHING HAS MEANING

Yes, even those hateful little apples with a shades grid, leaves, stupid branches, boxes, cubes and spheres. They’re not a mockery, but trainers for your eyes and hands. They teach you to see tone and light, so later, in your full-fledged works, you can move with confidence instead of hesitation. Try not to grumble, but notice the beauty hidden in small things — and suddenly the routine turns into magic.

✦ OBSERVE AND NOTICE

Learning doesn’t live only in classrooms. Every day the world gives you a lecture: how the sunset spills across the walls, how snow lies in a dozen different textures, how the house across the street breaks into shades upon shades. You already see it — but try doing it consciously: analyze, remember, try to repeat. The world is the best teacher of color and form, if only you are ready to listen.

✦ DON’T SKIP YOUR MONDAYS

Sculpting isn’t child’s play. By working directly with forms, touching them with your hands, literally creating them you’ll be surprised how quickly you start to understand how it works in objects. Art history isn’t boring either — stop just hearing the teacher’s voice and start listening to what they’re saying. Or better, go to the library yourself and pick up books about artists. Believe me, your future self will thank you more than you can imagine.

✦ THROW YOURSELF INTO COMPETITIONS AND EXHIBITIONS

Here’s a secret: that giant pile of diplomas and certificates from school competitions will end up in the trash five years after graduation. But the absence of a creative portfolio? You’ll feel that for a long, long time. Start building it now — while you have the time and opportunity.

✦ YOU’RE DOING GREAT, AND YOU’RE ON THE RIGHT PATH

Grades are dust. Teenage dramas too. They may seem huge, but deep down you know what truly matters to you. So don’t waste your energy proving something to someone or on scandals. Sit instead beside the quiet girls who are lost in their drawings and paintings. Be inside the process. One day, seventeen years from now, you’ll thank yourself — not for teen rebellion, but for your focus and devotion.

*original post (2) Instagram