Pragmatism

What really stuck with me from Scott's talk was some of the more pragmatic things he brought up, like the hard balance to strike between studio work and making money. That was a little worrisome for me, since I don't really have a balance right now, between my different classes and my social life. He mentioned, too, that real life doesn't have continuous deadlines (that might be a direct quote; can't tell from my notes #plagiarism) which can make it difficult to keep working. Personally I know I struggle doing work when I don't have looming deadlines, so sometimes I invent my own (e.g. by submitting to a show). There are times, though, I do find that idea I really love and follow it through for its own sake.

Scott also said he didn't feel connected to other artists in New York City and so moved to Philadelphia where the arts community is tighter, if smaller. That made me feel better about my inkling to move back to Boston. His desire for fresh voices to fuel new and stronger ideas also led him to attend graduate school. I don't know if I will be attending graduate school, but that is not a reason I had considered. He did point out, though, that artists are becoming more and more connected online, so maybe the Internet can be a sort of proxy to real live people.

I think he also brought up a good point that working in a small apartment can cramp your style, which a lot of people don't think about! It's also a reason why I don't always feel bad about making small art, because space is a consideration as much for the maker as the buyer. I will definitely keep all of this in mind as I plan my life after college, since I certainly will be making art no matter what career I end up embarking on.