Dear Birdie: Art in the Time of Capitalism & College
Written by Birdie, Graphic by Anna Porter
Welcome to “Dear Birdie,” a column where I do my best to offer guidance and some humor in response to questions from our college community! Throughout the column, I hope to help answer questions about anything and everything – from class troubles to relationship advice, movie recommendations and more. This column is anonymous, on both ends, so that you all can be more comfortable (and so I don’t have anyone tracking me down if my advice accidentally makes things worse instead of better). Which we’re going to hope and put out there that it doesn’t!
Alright! We’re starting this column with a question that has probably crossed the mind of every SCAD student.
“Dear Birdie, how do you stay in love with art while still trying to make a profit off of it?”
It’s a battle in itself to stay passionate about your medium when it becomes so intertwined with grades, stress and future economic stability. The burnout that comes with each quarter seeps into your passion for the art and makes it difficult to remember why you enjoy what you do – like you’re working for a means to an end instead of finding joy in the creation process.
My advice — establish a separate, personal outlet for creative work. This can take many forms and can be as high or low stakes as you please. It could be a passion project with friends, making a birthday card for a family member, collaging, writing, photography, etc. Something that’s just for you, with no academic validation, portfolio review or client to please weighing over your head. I also find that it works best if it’s something different than what you do in your day-to-day. Over the summer, I decided to start a junk journal. It became a great creative outlet – I would sketch, write, scrapbook, and more. I wasn’t worried about perfection; it was enough just to jot something down. It helped me find a gentle, casual approach to staying creative after a tough quarter.
The other thing I’ll do when faced with this dilemma is return to my roots, back to the thing, the ‘what’ that made me want to enter my creative field in the first place. Every time I watch “La La Land,” it fills me with so much emotion from the story and the obvious care and intention behind every part of the production. It’s refreshing, inspiring, and reminds me why I love what I do.
That’s enough chirping from me for now!
I hope you can find love for your art and the rewarding process behind it. The world could use more of it.
Until next time,
Birdie
