Triple Bongo

The UCAS deadline for university applications is on the 15th of Jan. This new deadline is making life hard for art students, the educational system and eventually the industry its self. I teach on a foundation course where the number of students interested in pursuing a pure Illustration BA is going up year on year. From 250 students we had 80 last year who stated an interest in illustration (this changed by the end of the course), while 2 showed an interest in architecture. There is more pressure than ever for students to choose their specialisms early on and more often than not, the default answer is Illustration. If you have some sort of agenda and you like making pictures (pretty much all 18 year old art students) then it's a reasonable conclusion. There are a number of factors that contribute to this situation, most notably the way illustration has been adopted within popular culture and how the fine art establishment has turned it's back on figurative image making. Neither of which I have a huge problem with nor do I want to discuss right now. It is the duty of art & design education to diagnose students into suitable specialist pathways and they must continue to do so.

However, what I do want to say is this. If you love drawing and want to go to university, illustration is by no means the only option for you. There are a whole host of careers within the design industry that you can turn your creative energy and enthusiasm towards. I know you're not thinking about a career now, but you will eventually and I can assure you that full time freelance illustration is a hard path to take. You need to equip yourself with skills, innovation, professionalism, momentum and maybe even a bit of luck. Even then, you will find it hard to make a steady income. Chances are you will eventually find the garden tap of real life slowly turning on your hose pipe of creative ambition.

Of course, I'm not saying don't apply. There are many exceptional graduates getting quality commissions and rightly so, they're work is fantastic! But I see so much incredible, exciting talent in foundation students that has a much wider application. I never thought about a career when I was a student. I just wanted to make work, solve problems and share ideas. What I'm saying to you is that there are other routes to consider right now that will provide you with far more opportunities as a graduate to make work, solve problems, share ideas AND get paid for it.

You might have a really clear idea about what illustration is. If you are the student who can't stop drawing, reading comics and describing your thoughts with pictures; then go for it, good luck and make it happen. As Mr Brody keeps telling us, we need a revolution.

But if you're not sure what illustration is. Or more importantly what the other courses provide, then take a step back and consider your options. Motion Graphics? Graphic art? Interactive media? Graphic design for screen? Film & animation? Visual Communication? Keep your options open and keep asking questions about where your creative potential could lie. I'm not saying that these other options are easier, there are no easy routes within the creative industry. Its just that I feel the balance between the number of graduates and actual industry demands for work are way off. If you're a student, don't define yourself by a specialism, define yourself by your growing understanding of design practices and the questions you are asking of them.

I hope this has been useful to someone. What keeps me awake at night (like tonight) is the thought of your ambitions getting beaten up in a fight you didn't know you were getting into. I'd much rather your potential fell in love with new ways of working.