As a fine arts major, I don’t really get to enjoy winter break because while it is a mental break from school, I am trying to find ways to prepare for the upcoming spring semester while finding time to sleep and eat in between shifts at my job. If I do nothing school-related, then I find myself stressed out at the beginning of spring semester because I think back at what I should have done. Need some ways to make winter break relaxing but also productive? Here are some ideas!
- Make a portfolio or jazz up your current one
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Having a portfolio website is crucial nowadays when you are a fine arts student because as soon as you start applying for jobs post-grad, they will want your portfolio along with your resume. If you don’t have one made, winter break is the perfect time to do it! Going through all of your old projects and making sure they are portfolio-ready takes time so doing it when you don’t have schoolwork on top of your workload will make it more manageable. Top recommendations for portfolio websites include Wix.com, Adobe Portfolio and Squarespace. Already have a portfolio? Winter break is the perfect time to add all of the projects you have worked on this past semester! Making a portfolio website is one of my main goals this winter break.
- Complete a passion project
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I spend so much time on my projects during the semester that I barely have time to sleep, let alone do a passion project on the side. Having a passion project helps you keep your skills sharp while taking away the stress of having to present it in front of your class for critique. A passion project is also the perfect opportunity to learn a new skill because no one can make fun of you for messing up the first couple of times. And who knows? Maybe your passion project can help you incorporate your new skill into your main discipline.
- Fix up (or re-do) old school projects
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I am going to be super real here. Having to work on all of my projects at once takes everything out of me so while they may look done, they are only done enough to get a grade and are not fully completed. This winter break, I plan on fixing up and fully finishing all of my projects that I have done thus far in college so when they are put into my portfolio, they look the best they can be. Got any project that you like the concept of but the execution wasn’t your best? You can re-do them! No one is stopping you because at the end of the day, no employer is ever going to ask for the project brief or rubric for a certain project.
- Start researching and gain inspiration for your upcoming projects
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Sometimes professors send project briefs at the beginning of winter break if there is an important project so students can start researching or collecting things they want to incorporate into their project before the class officially starts. If you are taking open studios in the upcoming semester, starting your research for your project concept during winter break can help you be extra prepared when the spring semester starts and you might get brownie points with your professor. Having a wide range of research done ahead of time will make the beginning of semester easier and you can get your professor’s input on what direction you can go for your project.
- Watch content that can help motivate you for the semester
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Sometimes I get so tunnel-visioned on what I am doing in my classes that I start to lose motivation and feel burnt out. A new thing I have been doing is watching content from other fashion designers or fashion design students to keep myself motivated and give my brain a break from all of my projects while also being inspired. Watching YouTube and Tiktok videos from other people within your discipline and industry can help you learn more about other people’s tips and tricks. While I can learn so much from textbooks and demonstrations, seeing another person work on their own projects is so inspiring that it makes me want to start a new project immediately.