Art Class Error

So I was going through some old junk today and I found something that reminded me of something.

After I graduated college I decided I probably should give some thought to what I want to do for a career. I got a degree in Communication which was the default major at my school. For clueless dopes like me, all other majors seemed sort of complicated and involved actual work of some sort. For a while I felt like I should try to go to art school because I doodled all the time, but I had that wacked attitude of not wanting to get all "corrupted" by instructors and stuff (which really was about me feeling like I wasn't talented enough to go to art school. i was just an insecure doodler who couldn't even master basic perspective)

Anyway, when I got out of school I stared at my communication degree and realized I might have screwed up. I decided I liked drawing more than umm.. communicating and signed up for a once-a-week continuing education class at Parson's School of Design to jump start some career involving drawing. The class was like a mid-level Illustration class. I figured I sort of knew how to draw pretty good- so mid-level would be ok. What I didn't realize was 'Illustration' wasn't 'Advanced Doodling'. The class was filled with like 15-20 recent art school graduates who knew lots of stuff... and me. I immediately felt old and stupid for being there. They all had like tools and equipment and portfolios and seemed to know each other. I was sitting there with a pencil and a piece of paper keeping busy by losing my hair.

As soon as the instructor started going over what the class was-- I realized I was in way over my head. The class mainly involved detailed technical drawing and painting. I hadn't even held a paintbrush since like 6th grade- but I decided to give it a shot anyway. For the first couple weeks we just worked on general drawing exercises and stuff. I was sort of into it and trying to keep my head in the game. Then we got our first assignment. We were to make a collage of  face from like magazines and stuff-- and then make a painting of the collage. Seemed ok. I did collage. I did the painting. I remember working really hard on it and going into the class sort of proud.

When I saw what the other students had done I just wanted to walk the hell out of there. It was like going to science fair with two tin cans and a string while dudes had like hamsters riding on lightning bolts in plasma pools or whatever. Their work was all so professional and detailed and like...good.

This kind of thing:

Like totally thought out and techniquified! I looked down at my thing and made a frowny face. Student after student went up and presented their work and we passed it around the room as they talked. They talked about their techniques and stuff. Why they did stuff certain ways or whatever. People asked questions or gave compliments. Finally the dreaded moment came and I had to unveil mine.

Here tis. (I found in a box of stuff today)..

I had to stand up in front of the class and talk all about it like everyone else. Everyone passed it around. It went around the room superfast. After I mumbled through whatever the hell it was- then there was like dead silence. No questions. Not response. Maybe a smirk at best. After like 20 seconds of silence. The instructor clapped his hands once and 'OK! Thanks Tom...'

And I packed up my little box of art supplies and never made it back to that class.... but I signed up for a film making class soon after! That was pretty short lived too. Tell you about that later.

Luckily sometimes some things just have a strange way of working out for the best...

ok bye!

tOdd