Just because I’m an Art major doesn’t mean I color all day

When you picture an Art major, what does she look like? Most likely, you’re envisioning someone edgy and cool, covered in piercings and tattoos, standoffishly smoking a cigarette. While some Art students do rock that look, not all of us do. Every major comes with its own stereotypes, but I’d argue none are quite as strong as those of an Art major.

Not a tattoo in sight

Most people scoff at the idea of majoring in Art. It’s thought of as something with no point and no future. Obviously, as an Art major myself, I completely disagree with that notion. There are so many misconceptions out there about Art majors: what we do, what we look like, how we behave. Here are a few of the most prominent and frustrating misconceptions I have to deal with all too often.

Everyone is on drugs

Let me just clarify one thing: Art students are not more prone to drugs than any other college student. We don’t all get high together in class — that’s just not a thing. A lot of times people think art school is full of tree-hugging hippies or druggies, but that could be true of any major. Our art may look trippy, but that doesn’t mean we are.

Artwork by yours truly (special effects makeup and colored pencil on photo)

Art students are not smart

Just because some of us may not fit the “norm” of intelligence doesn’t mean we are any less bright. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. We all had to get accepted into UMich just like everyone else. Just because our work may look different than yours doesn’t mean it’s any less complicated — don’t get it twisted. And many celebrated artists, like da Vinci and Michelangelo, are some of history’s most intelligent people. Just sayin’.

We’re all going to be poor

Probably one of the most common things an art major hears is that they’ll make no money in the future. I realize being an Art major is an unconventional path and comes with the uncertainty of a completely frivolous future, but for me, that’s not what it’s about. If I can wake up every day and be excited to go to class — and knowing I’ll feel the same about work in the future — that’s worth more to me than money. It’s important for me to love what I do, and art is what I love.

Art by freshman Julia Meade (colored pencil)

Art students spend all day coloring

Oh you’re in art school? Do you just draw and paint all day? While there are painting and drawing studio courses you can choose to take, we do a lot more than just that. STAMPS covers almost all mediums of art, from woodshop to animation. Art students also have to take required academic classes which involve a lot more skills than just drawing. Even what you’d dismiss as “easy” art-related classes take a lot of hard work, thought, and creativity to succeed. 

We’re good at anything art-related

Whenever something somewhat creative comes up, people always turn to me. PSA: Just because I’m an Art student doesn’t make me more qualified to staple pictures to a bulletin board or cut a t-shirt than anyone else.

Photo by sophomore Hannah Klapper

The moral of the story? The people at STAMPS (and all art schools) are not some special breed. We’re regular people — we just have different interests and talents. Art students are some of the most forward-thinking, clever people I know. People don’t realize how important the role of an artist is within society: Everything you see (that’s not within the bounds of nature) has been touched or designed by an artist.

There are a lot of misconceptions that come with being an Art major, but really it’s just a school full of really cool people doing really cool shit. Though I’ve only just begun my time here at Michigan, being an Art major has allowed me to do what I love every single day and wake up excited to go to class. I don’t think there are many people who can say that. Majoring in Art is such a unique and adventurous path, but for us, the passion we feel for our art is worth the risk of an uncertain future.