Beware of Easy Work

6 min readOct 1, 2015

and other advice to art & design students

Fall is here and that means art and design students everywhere are hauling pads of newsprint and clunking art bins to class. Here are a few things that I wish someone told me when I was that guy:

Beware of easy work

If work is not challenging then the chances are good that you are not improving. You do not need to be in school to do the easy things, you need to be in school to learn how to do the hard ones.

Being lost is the first step towards finding out what you’re meant to do

You will feel the pressure to pick a major, find a style, and get the right internship. You may be worried that you don’t have it all figured out. This feeling is normal, most people have it, it can persist for decades. The only way to discover the right path for you is to try a little bit of everything and run towards what excites you the most.

You’re going to make a lot of bad work

In fact, it may all be bad work but that’s ok. It will get better. Watch this.

There is always someone better

This will be obvious from the start, and it can feel disheartening, but this is the way of the world. Swallow your pride and learn from your peers. If you happen to be the best, be generous with your time and try to bring people up. They’re going to catch up eventually and will remember how you treated them.

Learn to separate what you make
with who you are

You will be happier and able to quickly learn from your mistakes.

Feed your head as well as your heart

The critical thinking skills you learn in crit and theory classes will stay with you decades after the individual projects you worked on fade from memory. Dive into those with as much energy as you approach studio classes.

Cultivate a unique perspective

You are what you see and experience. In school, everyone sits through the same class. But outside of class, look at the world for inspiration, adventure, love, and heartbreak. It will make you and your art stronger.

Lay the groundwork for healthy routines

Exercise, eat healthy food, take breaks, and get a good night sleep. Find a rhythm that you can sustain over long periods and you will be happier and more productive.

Build a portfolio

Take that pile of work that’s under your bed or in the studio and lay it all out from time to time. Edit it down to 10 pieces. It’s not easy, but doing this will force you to look at your strengths and weakness and give you valuable perspective on what you should focus on.

People skills are as important as art skills

And maybe even more important. Your peers will be your colleagues, bosses, and employees. They may have the power to send you a job or divert opportunities away. The art and design community is a small one. This is your opportunity to form the connections and friendships to help you succeed in your career. Learn to mingle, network and help out. At the bare minimum, follow the golden rule and don’t be an asshole.

Buy quality tools &
inexpensive supplies

A good paint brush that’s taken care of can last throughout school and beyond, while the paintings you create with it will probably be left at your parents house to gather dust. If you plan to spend like a professional, spend it on the tools and stick to student grade for the rest.

What you love may not make any money

It’s challenging to make enough money to pay off school loans and expenses with the more career oriented design majors. It can feel (or be) impossible in the fine arts. I wish that I had the answer to this one. There are probably a few Medium posts about it.

In my experience, I’ve seen one of three things happen:

1. An artist finds a dependable job that allows him to pursue his passion after hours. There is never enough time to work on art and his professional and artistic life suffers until one gives way.

2. An artist finds a job that is similar to her passion. The alignment of interest and career allows for success or frustration depending on the individual and the situation.

3. Some variation of the starving artist model: working low-wage jobs and making art all waking hours. (There are a few good years when you’re young and naive enough to make this happen provided that you continue to network like crazy.)

Learn to draw, write, and code

If I could pick just 3 skills to walk away from school with, it would be these no matter what the major. The world needs people who are inventive and can communicate an idea clearly.

Creating is a life-long pursuit

It takes time to hone a craft, and paying too much attention to short term gains and losses is exhausting. Taking the long view helps smooth out those early peaks or confidence and valleys of doubt. Think 20, 30, 50 years out…if you’re lucky, even longer than that. What work do you want to define your life? Don’t know? Keep working and figure it out.

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School (art or otherwise) is not for everyone but it was for me. If you found this to be interesting, please click the heart so others can find it.
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Matt Sundstrom is in love with the future, drawing and user experience. Find him at Instrument; an independent digital creative agency that launches brands, products, campaigns and interactive experiences for every screen — located in verdant Portland, Oregon.
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