California College of the Arts

Date: Apr 19 2009
Major: Fine Arts - Painting/Sculpture/Photography/etc (This Major's Salary over time)
I have spent 3 years at CCA, on a year break now to actually get my nit picky crazy projects actually done!!, and will be graduating next Spring. I am a Welfare to art school, dream poster child, (not so much by CCA scholarships, they do help but, the Cal Grant and smaller grants, like the Pell really make it possible. I've taken out about 8 grand in loans each year, mostly for rent and living/school survival for the year)

I have loved my time at CCA, there's good and bad everywhere right? and just like in real life, the real world, it's up to you and only you to make your dreams come true!

You gotta be your own squeaky wheel to get that sweet sweet grease you need to fly! The administration is not very organized, but if you talk to them with gratitude and respect, you'll find there are many sweethearts that will help you. You gotta do your own homework, on all accounts! With faculty, ask around, I have heard about mind-numbingly dull teachers, and jerks that give no constructive criticism just cruel stupidity. . . ask around and get out of a class, whatever it may be if you don't feel stimulated or worse, defeated. The teacher's who are that way, show their true colors pretty quick. So you gotta be even faster in deciding what's right for you. There are AMAZING faculty, I have befriended all across the disciplines, and in the humanities too. Many have not even, or only been my assigned teachers, but have become my mentors, heros, true friends, drinking buddies too! Ha ha! (I'm legal!) There are absolute treasures of souls all over the place, that will change your life, and influence your art to heights you never imagined. It's up to you to make the most of it, and also participate in class. It's awful when everyone is "too cool" or maybe just too tired to talk in class. Participate! It's your education dammit!

My biggest problem, which has resulted in goofball insomnia, is dreaming beyond the tiny deadlines for projects, and driving myself bonkers trying to give my 150% for a handful of worthy and awesome classes. Try finding parallels that you can combine assignments, it's not like turning in the same essay for two classes. But devoting your energy to one solid multi-faceted art piece, that you can get different perspectives on and more than one grade on. That saves my life!!!

I think my biggest gem of advice is to shop around the majors, why do just the one thing your obviously already good at, coming into the door? Why not explore everything in your heart's desire and then narrow it down, (when they make you, ha ha!) ? They make it more of a hassle, because it's just more paper work for them, but I full-heartily endorse the Individualized Major, basically creating your own major, it rocks!!! Revolutionize, evolutionize! If I had to say my focus in a phrase, it would be Boo kArts, I got into CCA as a photo major, uhhh yuck, hell no, i knew it first semester in, I probably would have drown myself or someone else with darkroom chemicals, if I had stuck it out! Very technical totalitarian, not supportive of crappy quality negatives but awesome photos, what's more important, truly? Very expensive major and everyone can take photos, why oh why limit your self??? I have taken painting, ceramics, textiles, book binding, writing. . .classes called Drawing Without Drawing (James Gobel-awesome!) and one with the visionary hero, absolute hero of CCA(C), Barron Storey and his Visual Journalism class. Anyone interested in creating anything of a pictorial, narrative fashion, you will thank yer blessed mind blown stars, by taking at least his Illustration 1 class. He is as much a genius as sweetheart, and share's all his magic spells' recipes, how to techniques, gold, my friend's GOLD!

And while Illustration and Graphic Design are some of the most popular majors cuz it gives you the fine arts with the professional banner of you having a better chance in getting a "real job" out of school. . . Guess what? Most everyone's work looks the same. Is that gonna help you in the competitive ass job market??? Hell no. Whatever you do, make it your own and grow from your own soul and what they can teach you to blossom professionally and artistically. For all these reasons, I again endorse the Individualized major, doing your own thing, whatever percentage you actually stray from one particular major, will profoundly change you. interacting with a much larger range of students, faculty. . . of course gives you more of a diverse edge in your own personal growth and networking circle of friends. I have seen it time and again, I think they call it evolution!