Episode 1
The Art Student Experience Pt. 1
Show notes:
In this first episode on the art student experience, the host, Marisela, talks about her experience being a Digital Design student at a university. She also advises on what she wishes she knew going into the Digital Design program.
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Intro/Outro Music: Atmospheric Pad Loop by Yellow Tree on Freesound.org: https://freesound.org/people/YellowTree/sounds/458114/
Mentions:
Biana Bova’s YouTube Channel (Illustrator): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRHlspi18iAasGXqKOL5gYQ
Transcript:
Hello and welcome dear listener, I'm Marisela and here on so you want to be creative, I interview people to give you a look into the various areas of the creative field. This week marks the beginning of the series I'm calling the art student experience for this series I will be interviewing various current and past students who are in art school or studying their craft, and what advice they would give to fellow or future students of their craft. I will also be covering my experience as a digital design student at a university, to give you an idea of what I will cover in this series, I will be asking myself the same questions, I intend to ask my podcast guests. So this episode will be about my experience as a digital design student at the University of Colorado Denver. So first, let's get some background, how do I introduce myself to new people? Typically, it depends on the context lately as I'm about to graduate, I usually talk about what I want to do when I'm out of college, so this is how I've been introducing myself lately. Hi, I'm Marisela, I'm a multidisciplinary designer with a focus on motion design, I would like to go into motion design and 2d animation, but for what I'm not sure. I really admire the people who make educational animations for the YouTube series Crash Course so I would like to go in that direction. Ideally, with my career, I would collaborate with storytellers and educators on visual solutions and representations of their messages. As a designer, I value empathy and honesty as a part of the design process, and product as well. Some interesting things about me are that I'm a ballet dancer and that I own many many plants that I've accumulated throughout quarantine, and what I do for a living right now is, I'm a full-time student, okay moving into my school experience. First, why did I decide to go to college to study a creative field? Well, I've always been an artist, and I've always been involved in some kind of creative activity for as long as I can remember. I grew up painting, I grew up going to ballet, I've been drawing since the age of four, and towards the end of high school when I was expected to decide what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I decided that I wanted to explore the digital side of art and illustration. So I ended up applying for the digital design program at the University of Colorado Denver, and I chose a university, a traditional university rather than an art program because I also wanted to study the more quote-unquote academic topics that my university has to offer. When I was deciding this, I was lurking on Biana Bova's YouTube channel, she's a really cool illustrator, I suggest you check her out, she really helped me figure out that I wanted to go to university rather than specifically an Art University, or an art school. So, what is some advice that I would give to a young or aspiring Digital Designer, who wants to go to school, or study digital design? I would say, while you're in school, or while you're studying a field for anything a general, ask for help, when you're confused, or when you need feedback, even when it's hard, or you think that your professor or teacher boss is scary, usually, they're there to help you, they're not going to make fun of you, and it'll always make your designs or art, better and you'll probably leave the conversation feeling more informed than you did before. I've spent way too much time in college trying to struggle by myself on my own and every time I've asked for help. I've gotten my task, or my project, or my art done quicker, and it has been stronger. Another thing I would say is that feedback is there for you to improve it's not there to hurt you. Nobody's going to be there to make fun of you or your art. I think the problem with being in a creative field is that art is subjective, and sometimes it can feel very much like an attack when you get feedback but, it's not. And you can always choose to take it or leave it, especially if that feedback is not constructive and if the feedback from somebody is not constructive, then maybe you should take the feedback with a grain of salt because feedback should always be constructive and there to help you learn. Another thing I would say to a young, aspiring designer and artists is try to have art, or, or design or whatever creative activity you want to do, just for yourself, because unfortunately, when you go into a creative career your art and design, kind of becomes your work, and sometimes it's hard to make work for yourself. That's not for a grade or a client or social media. This is something that I've struggled with and I still struggle with. But I've always been happier when I could have a creative outlet for my stress or for my feelings or just to like to make something, and for a while, they're in college I lost that because I was spending all of my creative energy on projects, or school. And finally, I would say take breaks. I've been there. I've been in the spot where I've been at a computer for five-plus hours, and I haven't gotten up and that's always been really hard on my body and my eyes. So I would advise that you take breaks when you need them because it'll help you come back to your project with fresh eyes and take a break, look outside at a tree, go for a walk because you're going to eventually feel the physical effects of staring at a computer or staring at your art all day, you're going to get frustrated, and you're going to feel cooped up, and your inspiration will stop flowing. So please take a break for yourself, for your mental health, or your physical health. What is something I wish I knew before going to school for or studying a creative field? I wish I knew that I had many options to go into digital design, you don't need to go to school to become a Digital Designer or artist, but sometimes it helps, and sometimes it is easier. For me going to school helped me put together a portfolio that I will use to apply for jobs. I don't think I would have done that on my own without a mentor, and it also taught me a lot about networking and gaining mentors, so that I can get feedback on my designs, but that's not how it is for everybody and you don't need to go to university and pay for four years of college to become a Digital Designer, there are many people that do it without going to school for it. It's all about knowing what's best for you and what will work for you in the long run. Also, I wish I knew that not everybody is going to like your art and design, and that's okay. And you need to learn how to let that roll off your back or take some time to take care of yourself when there are people like that in your life, it can be very emotionally draining and it's good to know how to take care of yourself in those times, and finally, I wish I knew when to walk away from a project and to stop frustrating myself. There are so many times in college where I forced myself to continue working on a project because I needed to like I needed to get the grade, but I would have been okay to take a break, I would have finished it on time and sometimes you've done all you can do for a project, sometimes it is just for a grade. It doesn't need to be a masterpiece every time, and it doesn't need to be the best thing you've ever created every time you make something sometimes you just need to get it done for the client or the teacher that you're getting graded by. Also, I would like to mention, before you go to school, or before you start studying something, or just before you start a new job or a new career endeavor, please, if you need to figure out a way to take care of your mental health. I've seen so many people go to school, and they didn't realize that they had anxiety around, academia, and teachers and grading with it that can take a really hard mental toll on you and physical toll that did on me to seek the help that you need. I know that everybody says this, but if you need to seek out talk therapy and if you can, you should do it, or if that's not available to you please talk to like your support system, or write in your journal do whatever you need to take care of yourself in stressful times like school and working with new clients.
So that's all I have for you guys today. Thank you for listening. I know that that last part was a little bit of a downer but I think it's important, find us on Instagram at so you want to be creative, no spaces, and no question mark, you can make suggestions here about what you want to hear on the pod, and who you want me to interview, and stay tuned for the next episode where I will be interviewing some more creatives, on their student experience, how it's different from mine. The plan is to get you a new episode every two weeks. Also, visit our website link in the show notes if you want to know more about me and this podcast. Thank you.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
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