12 Tidbits of Semi-Wisdom, Courtesy of Yours Truly

12 Tidbits of Semi-Wisdom, Courtesy of Yours Truly

Hello all, and oh my god it’s finally Thursday (meaning, it’s the weekend)! Here at SCAD we are so overloaded with art, that Paula Wallace (the president of SCAD) or some other higher power has granted us off on Fridays. Thank you, Paula. Anyways, the last couple of weeks have consisted of pretty much the same routine- eat, sleep, and produce art. Regardless of this somewhat static routine, life, naturally, has a way of throwing in exciting and fun and serendipitous (and sometimes ungodly) moments/events here and there. Although I mainly value sleep, food, puppies, and clothes, I do try to take note of these occurrences and events; oftentimes you can learn a great deal from them. That’s what being young is about, right? Messing up, learning from your mistakes, and then messing up all over again. Being young and foolish is something to relish in. Embrace it, folks (that’s what I’m trying to do). Want some not-super-wise (but very honest) insight? Here’s a nice list of knowledge and wisdom I have acquired through my recent youthful endeavors:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1. Set goals. You may not achieve them, because I rarely do, but it’s worth the effort. I decided a few weeks ago that I wanted to lose 10 pounds. In those few weeks, I’ve only gone to the gym three times, and one time, I ate a cookie right after a workout. But hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?

 

2. As a follow up, no one cares about your weight. If you think you’re fat, you’re not. Or maybe you are. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing (see the bottom of this post to read more on that), and who cares, anyways? Drink water (and coffee, of course), do Zumba, and take care of yourself. You don’t need anyone else’s approval or acceptance, as long as you have your own.

 

3. Coffee isn’t water. I forget this sometimes.

 

4. Gesture drawings are the worst thing ever. I’m awful at them. If you don’t know what those are because you don’t art like me, then be grateful. Stick to your microeconomics-molecular-chemistry homework (trust me, gesture drawings are much more difficult).

 

5. Drawing naked people isn’t all that bad. Actually, I got to draw a super-fit and relatively hot dude the other week. He was naked, of course. He was also lacking a thing called circumcision. It was weird, but his abs were nice.  

 

6. Always treat the work that you produce as if it is going to be seen by a million people. Will only your professor see your painting? Yeah, but act like that shit is about to go up in the Met. Do like, 10 people read my blog? Are they all people that I know? Pshh, heck no! I have thousands of subscribers. Page views aplenty. The fame is wild, really.

 

7. If your significant other does kindhearted things with thoughtfulness and good intent, good. If he/she buys you peonies thinking that they are lilies (because lilies are your favorite flower), good. Thoughtfulness is far, far, far more valuable than the price tag on a gift. Trust me, a tub of coconut ice cream and a handwritten note is better than anything Tiffany’s could offer.

 

8. Naps are not good. In fact, naps are quite toxic. They make you so groggy that, in the moment, you feel it only logical to skip class. It seems fantastic in the moment, but then you realize you’re missing an entire 2.5 hours to work on a project which is due next week and you have nothing done. Whoops.

 

9. When in doubt, overload on accessories (but try to do so in a somewhat stylish manner). Don’t know which necklace to wear? It’s fine, just wear all three. Or four. Add some earrings too. And cocktail rings, those are great. “The more the merrier” doesn’t just apply to people, folks. Jewelry needs friends too.

 

10. You don’t have to attend to any person that tries to request time from you. If you want to say no, say no. If you want to eat ice cream all alone, rather than going out with friends, do it. Allow yourself to be an introvert, be your own best friend. People can be incredibly annoying, honestly.

 

11. Save your money. Art school, and just life in general, is expensive as hell.

 

12. If you fail at something, don’t be discouraged. Last week, I got a D on a skirt that I made in my first fashion design class ever- I basically imploded and briefly considered dropping out. Ugh, talk about discouraging! But you know what? Michael Jordan got cut from his high school basketball team. Oprah got fired from her first job as a news anchor. Abraham Lincoln failed at business like twenty times, and Dr. Seuss’s first book was rejected by 27 different publishers. From what I’ve learned, it takes failing (even if it’s a million and one times) in order to learn how to succeed. So stay positive and persistent, and don’t take life too seriously. Quote me when I’m a famous designer.

 

Embrace Your Misfit Soul,

xoxo Julia B.