Starting university can be exciting; with new experiences around every corner, the sudden freedom is incredibly liberating! When coming to uni, I was excited by not only my independence in my social life, but also that of my academic life – I had newfound freedom on campus to explore so many opportunities. But I soon found that balancing time doesn’t always work out to be quite so easy. Between learning to look after myself properly, making friends, and doing my uni work, it was easy to get a little overwhelmed.
Throughout my studies, particularly during second year so far, I’ve been scheduled in a lot of studio practice, which is a time when I’m given the opportunity to visit the studio and get useful feedback from other students also there, along with my course leader. This opportunity is both incredibly helpful and also a little tricky to navigate; being independently led, it took me a little bit of time to figure out the right schedule for me. I’ve learnt that it’s definitely individual to each person, and everyone on my course has had to figure out how to make the most of their studio time in the way that suits them best.
I have some friends that hardly ever go to studio practice; being an illustrator sometimes means getting rather inconveniently timed ‘artistic epiphanies’ that don’t always align with studio hours. Some of my friends go specifically to make use of certain facilities we get access to – the iMacs in the second-year studio are particularly popular. Some of them much prefer working in the comfort of their own rooms at home and strive to get feedback during tutorials and critiques only, and I can’t deny that sometimes staying warm and cosy at home is the way to go. But I’ve managed to find a balance between domestic comforts and going into the studio to get my work done in an encouraging and focused environment. Going into studio practice, a designated space to work, gets me into the right mindset – no more procrastination!
Illustration can sometimes be quite a solitary course, especially when there aren’t many workshops going on, so it’s often really useful to get feedback from other people. It can be easy to get caught up in my own inner turmoil and quickly decide that what I’ve created so far are some of the worst drawings in the world… and so a new pair of eyes can be pretty refreshing! Hearing feedback that’s actually constructive rather than self-deprecating is something I’m sure all creatives appreciate and is something that I find most valuable when going to studio practice; as well as getting a chance to hear back from the course tutors of that specific unit, I may also receive useful criticism from my own peers.
Studio practice is also an incredible place to get inspiration! Between the books, zines and images around the studio itself, and even the work made by the other students around me, getting out of my stuffy bedroom and into the world itself is a good way to move my project on further. I’m sure many of us understand the task that is overcoming art block, and unfortunately going to uni has not quite yet made me immune to this, either. During the first term of my second year, I really struggled to move my project forwards, no matter how much work I did. Illustrating for double-page spreads and the front cover of a book was all of a sudden the bane of my existence – I just couldn’t seem to create consistency within my work, or create anything I found visually interesting at all. So, to help, I found that one of the best remedies included getting myself up and out of my familiar home space. I could then take advantage of the advice I could get from staff, such as an acknowledgement of the stronger elements of my work that I could then continue further throughout my collection. Along with this direct advice, I also had new visual inspiration all around me, to help me finally move forwards.
That being said, sometimes it can be nice staying at home. This gives me an opportunity to balance my life with my work – breaking up my drawing time to go out to run errands or meet my friends. University isn’t about burning yourself out – it's about making the most of the opportunities you have and to learn something new. Sometimes allowing myself a day off from visiting the studio is okay. That’s why finding that balance is so important for me; I often like to loosely schedule what I want to get done in my week before it starts. This means I can have a specific time that is meant for studio practice and getting feedback, but if I run into any problems along the way, I have the opportunity to rearrange my time to make sure it suits what works for me currently. I know that studio practice is a really valuable time for me, as it allows me to create work that I’m passionate about and learn more about myself and my illustrations along the way. When I’m struggling, sometimes rearranging my time to go into the studio for help is the best thing to do.
At the end of the day, your degree is what you make it. Going to university can mean discovering your own way of working – the ways in which you overcome problems the best, and when you might need more help. Figuring this out might take some time; but once you’ve learnt it, it can be one of your greatest assets.
