osprey

Hi Anon, You've jumped through the designated hoops - now you've got to make your own hoops to leap through. Even if you're not showing now - you're not making art into a black hole. Art can exist independently of the shows or conversations that happen around it. Maybe those will come later - once you set up a situation for them to happen. Keep regular studio hours - and perhaps add to those designated hours time during which you'll make an effort to develop a robust art community. Get out and talk to people. Submit proposals to galleries you like (after talking to people). I'm giving this advice to you, and myself. I think it's especially difficult for good students to interact with the very informal economy of art. It's hard to ask for things - there rarely seems to be a right time to do so, and there's little structure aside from just rubbing shoulders with people. It's the kind of "networking" that honestly makes me a little sick to my stomach - but it's entirely necessary - for both shows and jobs. You probably know some interesting enough people from SFAI - keep in touch with them. If it doesn't come naturally, force yourself to do so. Almost all artists are a little awkward. Good luck! Remember almost everyone has a day job - even really successful artists - so don't beat yourself up about that. There are very few tenure track teaching positions - and many of them are in the middle of nowhere. Consider what you really, really want - and push towards it - but don't beat yourself up about not reaching milestones within any particular time line. Ultimately, being an artist is a feat of persistence, unreasonable determination, and perhaps a little delusion.

I also didn't get any merit aid for CCA, and am not expecting any financial aid. I really, really, really, would love to attend. However, when I think about how much money $80,000 is - enough to buy a house in many places - it's difficult to justify paying or taking out massive loans when I could wait and apply again. I mean, $80,000 buys a lot of art supplies - and depending on the price and your age, a lifetime of studio rent. I'm in it for the long run. I want to make choices that optimize my drive and ability to devote time to making art. I think the loans would hold me back. My plan for the next year? Make lots of art. Go to lots of openings and artist lectures. Basically pretend I'm in grad school, but with a part-time job, and less debt. Then, apply widely next year - wiser and a stronger candidate.

Alright, revealing the depth of my lurking here - by logging into the webadvisor (through their website, using cca+the ID number at the bottom of your correspondence with the school), you can check on your admission status. Mine says "congratulations - admitted", effective as of 3/2/11. The message center doesn't say anything yet, neither have I recieved an e-mail, yet. So - maybe I'm prematurely assuming things again, and it's a mistake? I hope not, but I suppose if so, I'd know for good to not count my chickens before they hatch. Good luck, and best wishes!

PSA from a long time lurker: I applied to four schools, recieved a soft rejection from one, but heard nothing from the other three. I saw on these forums that applicants had already heard back from these other schools, at least for interviews (from UCLA, USC, and CCA) - and prepared myself for what I assumed to be inevitable rejection. To the point that I missed the fafsa deadline for my state. So incredibly, pathetically stupid. Today, I checked my online status for CCA and saw that I am admitted. Obviously, I'm kicking myself, and filling out the necessary forms. I'm not sure what the lesson is in this - but the part that propelled me to comment is that none of us really know what's going to happen until we hear back directly from the schools to which we've applied. Emotions run high while waiting to hear these big decisions - but we should all strive to be level headed and not cave to the temptation of seeing the results that filter in on this forum as a talisman to our own fates in this process. Real people are out there looking over our applications, and real people are not perfectly predictable. Apparently, myself included. I don't know why I sabotauged myself - I can't know what will happen with the other schools. Not yet. Not until I've heard from them.