Do You Have a BFA?

I have a friend, actually, she's my shrink, who has told me that I need to get a bachelor's degree if I expect to make anything happen for myself in the art world.

I have always thought of college as a place to gain the skills to practise the career you have chosen as your life work. And, of course, it is! I have an associates degree in art from my local community college and feel that I gained skills that I have used to help improve my artistic technique.

But she also asserts that going to college is about making connections and using a learning institution as a platform to further my attempts to "break out" in the art world. This is a new idea to me. I have always understood that having a diploma from certain schools add to a person's cache, to make them more appealing to those who may be interested in hiring them.

I would like to know what others think about this. Will you look the questions below and give answers in the comments.

1. Do you feel that having a BA or a BFA makes a difference in your professional life?

2. Do you feel that having your BFA gave you an advantage?

3. Did you use your attendance at your chosen school to make an artistic statement while attending? Were you able to make business connections on campus or through professors and/or staff?

4. Did you consider that to be a reason for attending the college that you chose?

5.What about exposure? Did you exhibit work at your school with the intention of parlaying that into a career? Did it work?

6. Do you feel that your school provided a "platform" for you as a student?

I truly appreciate any insight anyone can give me.

Thanx!

Knitting keeps me centered

Knitting helps me f eel centered. And believe me! Nowadays I need something that will keep me from flying off the planet!

My daughter is in her year of college, her second semester at University. I found out yesterday that she failed 2 classes last semester and is on probation. How did I find this out? By going through her drawers, looking for the bill she got last winter from the Motor Vehicle Commission, for her surcharge. She never paid it and now she is revoked.... yet again! I didn't find the bill.

So now I pull out my knitting nnedles and follow my pattern and become engrossed in the color and placement of the stitches. Knitting is contempletive. I do my best thinking either in my car, driving ,or while I'm knitting.

Now I have plan. It's time to push this bird a little further out of the nest. I'm not kicking her out, just giving her more freedom than she's had before.

I'm signing the car over to her. She's being removed from our auto insurance and getting her own policy. I'm giving her back her debit card. ( We had taken it because she continues to over draw her account. ) And, I'll no longer oopen her mail,.(In order to let her know what bills and important papers come in. ) From now on all mail will be forwarded to her at school.

And, in the future, when I have anxiety over her antics, I'll send up prayers and pull out the knitting.