Taking out a loan for education

[Rist]

Hello all,

I will begin by asking the question. Who has taken a loan out for their art education? This question is not referring to the government loan called the LEA that happens in the uk, but for personal bank loans which run into 5 figures or more.

A little bit of background story. I went through three years of college and then another 3 years at university. He course focused on how you think, like a contemporary art course. But the real sad truth is that the whole 6 years were only really just a taster. Not only that but any fundamental skills aquired were self taught.

I am now 25, I graduated in 2009. I have done nothing with my art career. Not only this but I also do not have the confidence in my abilities. 6 years of further education should have paved the way for this, but it did not. The whole time was an illusionary facade. Now I am thinking I can continue at this rate and look back to disappointment and do something about it.

I have been looking at several artelia (fzd, art depart, gnomon, Lara, etc) and they all look awfully expensive! I have bills and rent to pay, but even if I could save up it would take me years. Now the only other idea would be for a loan. I've never taken a bank loan out. I have always supported myself. So taking one out is alien to me. Not only this but everyone around me also argue that I shouldn't take one out.

So I guess the only question is, is it worth chasing debt for most of my life in order to follow what I love? At the moment I work in a call centre and this is soul destroying. I have read a lot about marketing my work, business strategies and where to go to show my work. But the one think I believe I still lack is that guided hand in covering all the fundamentals. Not only this, but the contacts I will gain by going back to education, the latter is very important and almost impossible to achieve self-taught.

You could take this post as the rumblings of a dillusional artist or plea for some other thoughts on the matter, asked by the very people who persue this cause, as they are the very people seeing if it was worth it.

As for which direction I want to go into. I enjoy drawing and painting the same dragons and warriors I have always liked creating. So the role would be illustrator and concept artist. However with the fundamentals ironed out there are so many other branches to take, such as portraiture, landscape painting, murals and fine art.

So the direct question: to take a bank loan or not to take one?

[Deadlyhazard]

Why not self-study? A very large proportion of professional artists I've talked to and seen are self-taught (in other words, learned from books/workshops/dvds). If you can't make it self-taught, you aren't going to make it professionally by just going to school. Burying yourself in completely unnecessary debt (all those schools you've listed are very expensive) is the worst thing you can do right now. You have no guarantees of launching an art career just because you go to one of those schools. In the end, it is completely dependent on you making the effort to learn stuff on your own. If you couldn't do that in six years, what makes you think going to one of those schools for a couple of years is going to make you successful?

Seriously, you'll be spending years paying back those loans. Don't do it if you can't afford it. Only take out loans if the amount you have to pay is small due to a scholarship. Otherwise IMO self-teach yourself and try to aggregate as much knowledge as you can from what I mentioned above.

[Dunnstar]

Here's my thought on the matter. First watch this delightful vid by the late Hitchens, he's talking about writers but I think it applies to artists aswell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hty8vc5sy_w


Think on what he brings up and ask yourself what you want. As for the advice above, I think they're being a little wishful. Everyone but the extremely rich will have to take out massive loans. Houses? Cars? School? Loans are apart of being alive, unfortunately.

Also, all artists are self taught. You've obviously been out on your own for abit now and you're working at a call centre. What you certainly do not need, is more time on your own. (Obviously) I think you know what you must do. If you're asking us if the risk will pay off, I don't know. Chances are it wont. art doesn't tend to be very lucrative. If you can read that sentence and still want to give it a go then you know your answer.

You don't learn to draw well from school, you are pushed to draw well at school. What I mean is, school should serve as motivation, a good nurturing enviroment and contacts.

[Dunnstar]

Here's my thought on the matter. First watch this delightful vid by the late Hitchens, he's talking about writers but I think it applies to artists aswell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hty8vc5sy_w


Think on what he brings up and ask yourself what you want. As for the advice above, I think they're being a little wishful. Everyone but the extremely rich will have to take out massive loans. Houses? Cars? School? Loans are apart of being alive, unfortunately.

Also, all artists are self taught. You've obviously been out on your own for abit now and you're working at a call centre. What you certainly do not need, is more time on your own. (Obviously) I think you know what you must do. If you're asking us if the risk will pay off, I don't know. Chances are it wont. art doesn't tend to be very lucrative. If you can read that sentence and still want to give it a go then you know your answer.

You don't learn to draw well from school, you are pushed to draw well at school. What I mean is, school should serve as motivation, a good nurturing enviroment and contacts.

[Dunnstar]

Here's my thought on the matter. First watch this delightful vid by the late Hitchens, he's talking about writers but I think it applies to artists aswell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hty8vc5sy_w


Think on what he brings up and ask yourself what you want. As for the advice above, I think they're being a little wishful. Everyone but the extremely rich will have to take out massive loans. Houses? Cars? School? Loans are apart of being alive, unfortunately.

Also, all artists are self taught. You've obviously been out on your own for abit now and you're working at a call centre. What you certainly do not need, is more time on your own. (Obviously) I think you know what you must do. If you're asking us if the risk will pay off, I don't know. Chances are it wont. art doesn't tend to be very lucrative. If you can read that sentence and still want to give it a go then you know your answer.

You don't learn to draw well from school, you are pushed to draw well at school. What I mean is, school should serve as motivation, a good nurturing enviroment and contacts.