After reaching out to Chàe, we’ve had the ultimate pleasure of collaborating with fellow student and artist Amely Koenig. Amely is studying a Bachelor of Communications and Media at UOW, and majors in Visual Communication Design. Being in the realm of creativity, I wanted to pick Amely’s brain on her insights on a University degree benefitting an artistic career.
Why did you believe your course was the right course for you to study?
I chose this subject because it supported what I liked about the arts, and I found Graphic Design a very interesting subject to study, and I am enjoying my interactions with this subject so far!
Does it support your passions as an artist?
Yes it does! It is more parallel to my passions of drawing and art, as graphic design can be very different in some aspects and I learn some concepts, like the importance of typography, that I would never learn if I just focussed on drawing. I do think both of them feed off each other very well and as a result make me a more rounded 'creator', so to say.
As an artistic person why do you believe a university degree is/or isn’t beneficial?
If a person is absolutely set on trying to get into the commercial art field, then I don't believe that Uni is right for them, and a specialised course or self-study can boost your skills a lot more than a University Degree can.
This is because University has theory courses to go with it, but your skills can only improve if you actually draw and learn drawing methods, and a specialised course is more equipped for that. Heck, there are even free online courses that you can take that are very beneficial. As for myself personally, I am not totally set on a concrete goal, so my mindset is that I should try some things out while also drawing a lot on the side! So, I want to go to Uni to see what is on offer and 'dip my hands into lots of pies' so to speak.
How does university help boost you to create content?
It helps a lot! Whenever I have open-ended assignments with no control on the output, I always try to incorporate drawings of some sort in the finished product so that I can keep drawing even when I'm neck-deep in Uni assignments. I also get a lot of inspiration from my VCD102 classes for concepts to do, as it is a subject that emphasizes sketching out ideas and trying everything. Overall, I feel that my degree is very friendly towards letting us create content the way that we want to.
What do you hope to get out of this degree long term?
Maybe a job? Or is that too far-fetched in today’s climate? Seems like a pipedream at this point! For long term, I hope to retain all of the design concepts that I have learned, and have a better idea on how to make good designs and what makes something look... 'good' design wise. It is very tricky to have a design really hit that sweet spot, and I find it a worthwhile goal learning design, even if I may end up not using it. I enjoy it on a personal level, and mix it in with my drawings, so I suppose I just hope for more creativity and skill in the long run.
How did you get into digital creating as opposed to traditional art forms? (e.i painting and drawing?)
I tried to get into digital painting when I was 16 years old, but I found it too hard and nearly gave up. But a year later I tried it again, stuck with it and loved it! I think the turning point for me was so easily adding alterations to the drawings as well as colour. The versatility of the digital art medium allows for so much quicker exploration than traditional. You can adjust proportions and colour scheme at a moment’s notice, things that you can't do on traditional, and that makes it a lot more fun. Traditional is definitely still very important too! I am still in awe at how people manage to do watercolour paintings and draw in oil pastel with such ease. They can be a lot more unforgiving than digital though, hence why the younger community can skew towards digital, it’s awesome to play around with.
What is your favourite stress coping mechanism as a student who enjoys creating?
For me personally, it’s just plopping down in front of a couch playing games, listening to a podcast or watching YouTube. That is ultimate relaxation and laziness. I do draw to relax sometimes, but I do it so often that its more of an activity that I do when my mind is switched on, so getting inspiration from social media and games is a great way to recharge my batteries.
What I found interesting about Amely’s responses, was the fact that we both share the same ideals on Uni degree vs. no Uni degree. I think it’s really easy to fall into the trap of believing as creative person who wants a creative career you don’t need to go to University to study. And as Amely mentioned there are so many avenues to take, but what’s great about studying is gaining experience with working with likeminded people and getting that footing before stepping straight into the industry you desire.
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