Written by Rachel Pelkie Durring Art 130 in the Spring of 2020 Authorized by St. Norbert College
Understanding Imperfections within Art
Let’s Take a Break to Chat About My Vocation Questions, Shall We? Are you called to creative work? If so, how do you recognize that calling? If not, to what do you feel called?
I feel as if I want to say no, I am not called to creative work, strictly because I am afraid to mess up. I am not knowledgeable enough to navigate technological platforms (Adobe software or film software, etc.). On the other hand, I love abstract painting and experimenting with different techniques. When I was younger, I would make mud soups and burgers, I would put on concerts for my family, I made a paper dress, I used Littlest Pet Shops for a Christmas village, and tons more. I think my issue with being creative is what other people will think. Sometimes I want to be the most creative person, so I think of ways to be better than others. I acknowledge that this is a bad habit, but I realize that the work I do is the best that it can be. When it is not the best work I can do, then I try again or give it some time. For instance, this year, I redid a piece that I did in high school. I redid the colors and went over with other mediums. Also, I switched my Biology major to a Fine Arts major, I never thought I could make a living as an artist, but here I am trying. Either way I look at it, I guess was always drawn to creative outlets.
What is the greatest failure you’ve experienced in your life? To be honest, my greatest failure was not taking college picking seriously. When I was younger, I wanted to go to college because it was the norm. Everyone is expected to go if they can afford it. As time went by, I started to think that maybe college wasn’t right for me. I wanted to take a gap year, but that didn’t happen. I always said I wanted to move to a different state if I went, which I did. My parents pay for my college, and give me money and whatnots, which places a lot of pressure on me. I didn’t want to be a financial burden on my parents. They’re fine with paying and supporting me, only if I do what I need to do and have fun, but I still feel guilty for spending their money on myself. Also, figuring out what college I wanted to go to and what to major in. I picked Biology due to my love of forensics science and marine biology. I still love learning about those fields, but I realized that art was really what I want my future to be about. Now that I found what I want to do for real, I feel a sense of sadness, because I don’t want to leave the friends I made at St. Norbert, but I also did not look into the art programs that were in other colleges. My best friend goes to DePaul University in Chicago, I’ve been there and saw some programs that they offer for art students. She is working for a BFA in Amination with a focus in Cinema and a concentration in 3D Character Animation and a minor in Illustration. She tells me all the programs and classes that she takes. Hearing this makes me second guess if I chose the right college for
me. Regardless, I try to make the best that I can with what I am given, art wise. Overall, I failed at choosing a college due to my lack of thought and motivation.
This book was made as part of Introduction to Design at St. Norbert College in the spring of 2020. The fonts used include Comic Sans MS, Regular; Ink Free, Regular; and Calibri, Light. Due to the COVID-19 Virus, this is an online version rather than a printed book.