Final days of the semester at RISD

The semester is in its final days at RISD, and today I’m reading through written self-critiques by students in my freshman drawing class.  I always find these self-critiques very insightful.  Although my preferred means of communication with students is face-to-face interactions, I do find that a written format does open up an opportunity for some students to say things to me that they might be too embarrassed or nervous to say to me in person.

Below are some excerpts from those self-critiques.

“Currently, my motto is, if i’m afraid of it, I should probably do it.”

“I learned that every choice I make matters.”

“Even if the planning is perfect, if you fall short on execution, then the entire project will fall apart.”

“Ideas will change throughout the process.”

“It is absolutely okay to fail.”

“I learned that a good concept can’t save you, and neither will flashy technical skill.”

“I realized that art is not only about having the techniques in making the art, a big portion of it is also knowing how to think.”

“This semester I learned that I can’t just sit around waiting to be excited.”