What next?

Danny:

I love to draw. I am happiest when I am drawing. There is a peacefulness.
I have a blog that I began almost literally at the same moment that I started to draw: Up and Down Town
I have no art training whatsoever.
What advice would you give someone who loves to do this? To go to school and study illustration, or to keep on keeping on?

Jennifer

Dear Jennifer:

I love to draw too. And the only training I’ve gotten is by filling lots of books with drawing and looking long and hard at the art of people whose work I like.
Because I like drawing, I draw. On occasion, I have been asked and paid to draw something. It’s a lot less fun than drawing whatever whenever I like. It’s fun getting checks and it’s fun seeing my work in print. But not nearly as much fun as drawing. (well, unless the checks are stupendous but for most illustrators, they rarely are).
I have met quite a lot of people who like to draw and then went to school to study art and, by and large, school did not do much to make them love art more. Sure, they got to draw or paint all day, but they also became a lot more anxious and self-critical and overly-intellectual, and eventually lost a lot of the spirit that drive them to art school in the first place. Ironically, they invite me to schools to remind illustration students of how much drawing can be.
Now of course I know nothing about you or what else you love to do or have considered studying, but I would say that if you have to ask me whether you should go to school to study illustration, then no, you probably shouldn’t. If you felt there was a lot to learn about drawing that you couldn’t get without paying a school to teach you, then, you’d probably have applied already. But if you just love to draw and want to try more and more ways to do it, then get some books from the library, take a few life-drawing classes, go out sketching buildings and zoos and the like with your friends, and see where it leads you. You are already sharing your work on the web so chances are, if it is to be, you will develop a following and eventually someone will offer to pay you to draw them something. See how that makes you feel. See how it makes you feel the tenth time. See how many times you have to do it before you have paid off your student loans.
I hope I’m not disappointing you with my advice. The fact is you are enormously lucky to have discovered that you love to draw. However, liking drawing and making a profession of it are two very different things. I like to cook but I don’t feel the need to work in a restaurant kitchen. I like to drive, but I ‘m not getting my taxi or trucking license. I like to walk, to breathe, to take naps,listen to music, and read books, but I am perfectly able to advance in those disciplines without professional help.
Now, this is all of course, my own very particular POV, but then you did ask me what I think. Perhaps you should ask people who have a bit more experience with studying art in school and what they say.
I hope this has been helpful to you, Jennifer. Please keep drawing, whatever you decided to do.

Your pal,
Danny

Danny:

Because you don’t know me, you can’t have anticipated that I would love your response, so I will tip you off – I loved it. Thank you. Not only did I love your response, but I also really really appreciated that you took the time to write it. I did approach a few academic advisers before writing to you, and of course they were going to recommend a program for me (shock, I know). I suppose I love your response because it was what I already knew. (Everyone sounds smart when they sound like me.)
I’ve been paid to write and to edit. That is easy, but not fun. As much as I like to nap, I have absolutely never desired a career in this field – my husband, on the other hand, would faint in rapture at the mere thought.
I don’t need stupendous checks. I will explore my own drawing some more, and see what happens.
And thank you again. Very much.

Jennifer