Learning

Today was my last day with the program, and after this post, in a week or so, I think I might go back and reevaluate the entire situation, but for now I want to let out my thoughts on how it went so far. As the program went on, and there were scheduling conflicts we had to compensate for (not always successfully), I began to learn that you need to be flexible and there are different ways to do things. The program has taught me that leadership has to come from yourself. You have to take responsibility for your own actions and for everything you do. If you want to run your own studio, you should first observe and learn how to do so. There is a lot to it: record keeping, portfolio organization, the skills needed to profit. It isn't something you just start up on a whim, or at least keep going because of it.
I learned that in the finer details of business one must have the desire and backing to keep going and must not forget why they do what they do. Although the program was a little tough on me, I feel better for it. I've come out of it knowing what I'm looking for in a job environment, who to trust, and what to take from the lessons I'm taught. I have to take the advice I am given and transform it into something useful. You cannot simply say 'align everything right' and expect it to make sense, or rather, continue to be a decent and growing designer; you haven't learned anything. But if someone prompts you to understand why align right is the better decision, wouldn't that help more in the future? Though my entrusted project was a seemingly simple one, I realize now that I am done with program (not the work, not by any means) that there is a lot of thought and more detail then one can originally realize in the conception of a piece of work. It is not merely to have the idea, but to be able to bring it to life. Much like that of a dance performance. Dancers begin with an idea or concept that they must bring to life, and nobody gets it right after the first try. It takes a lot of practice and adjustments. I suppose this knowledge of the grander scheme of things gives me a broader perspective for the other arts around me, as well as extends the amount of respect I hold for my fellow peers here at UArts.
We all do some amazing things with our life and time, and I will continue to think about the impact of this program on my career in the weeks to come.