The mind of an artist can be very different from that of a non-artistic person. The most obvious difference between SCAD students and traditional students is that instead of going to college to find out what they’re passionate about, the artist goes to refine their craft.
The way artists interact with everything, from handling their careers to the way they view the world and others around them, differs from the less creative. They have the ability to think critically about things from a different prospective. On the flip side, creative people are sometimes known to be mentally disorganized, misunderstood and stranger than society would like them to be. Combined, these things make a complicated person — an artist.
T.J. Jones, second-year animation student, believes that one of the more positive traits that artists have over non-artists is their critical thinking skills. “As an artist, I can look at things aesthetically or by situation and analyze them in a deeper way,” said Jones. “Us artists learn how to look at the world from all different angles. Non-artists typically don’t.” This advantage not only helps artists in their career path, but it can affect how they perceive the entire world.
Artists also use these varying points of view to understand what makes them happy. “There are people who enjoy art, and there are people who make art,” said Rachel Ordway, first-year sequential art student. “Those who make it can pinpoint what exactly is drawing them in — be that the vivid colors or a balance in composition. We’re more critical of everyday life.”
The passion for creation is what separates artists from friends studying at more traditional schools. The fire to express themselves can be a fiercely driving force in their college experience. “What differs between my college experience and my other friends [at traditional colleges] is that I’m having a lot more fun. But I also sleep a lot less,” said Ordway. “It seems like even though they might be passionate about something, they’re just going to school to get a degree to do some job they don’t care about.”
In contrast, there is the idea that one’s life outside of making art can impact their artistic life. As an animation student, Jones lends his humorous nature to the work that he does. “I can find humor in just about everything,” said Jones. “I use that humor to help me when I’m animating.”
Many students at SCAD have been artists since they were little, and they bring with them unique outlooks and eagerness to grow as artists, while at school. When not brooding over a failed creative endeavor, these right-brainers explore and contemplate not only their surroundings, but the world.