1. Have pictures of your art on your phone
Everyone will ask to see it all the time! Plus, whoever asks will usually love whatever it is you are doing. After so much criticism from your professors, fellow art students, and especially yourself, a cheerleader will definitely help you feel better.
2. Get the apps for Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and your favorite supply stores.
Even when you’re just stopping in to pick up a small bottle of paint, those coupons really add up. Hobby Lobby has a special Weekly Coupon that is usually something like 40% off a single item, which can quickly make a difference.
3. Don’t buy the supplies until it’s time to use them.
Too often, I have seen students eagerly buy everything on their syllabus supply lists only to never use those items ever, and not be able to return them at the end of the semester. Save your wallet, and just wait to buy them till the professor says it’s time to use them.
4. It is sometimes impossible to get the projects done the night before.
I promise this is not a challenge. The projects your professor gives you sometimes truly take the weeks they give you to work on it. It is possible to write poorly written essays with lots of copy pastes the night before, but it’s not really possible to BS your way through a giant sketch in two hours that would otherwise take fifteen hours. Your professors know your work, and they can’t really help you improve as an artist unless you actually try to produce good work in the first place.
5. Don’t compare your artwork to your peers.
There will always be students who are better than you and that are worse than you at different things. Art school is competitive, so remember to take a step back and be proud of the artist you already are, otherwise it’s too easy to bog yourself down with your weaknesses, and compare yourself to others.