Monday, May 11, 2009

Purely symbolic & arbitrary, but a victory nevertheless

The fractal world is full of people who say "Well, I don't have any formal art training, but..." in a sort of apologetic fashion. There seems to be very little overlap between the categories of "art education" and "fractal imagery."

Today, I got my BFA. Walked across the stage all proper, shook hands with the department chair and the provost and the president, and was handed the stupid fake-leather folder thing. It's been a long four five years, what with the cross-continent move and the changing departments halfway through and all the many varied difficulties along the way.

But now I can finally say to the world, "As a matter of fact, I do have formal art training. Would you like to see my fractals?"

1 comment:

Philip said...

Congratulations on getting your BFA, Mr. Velocipede!

I used to think of degrees as purely symbolic and arbitrary, just a "piece of paper", but now I know that they do get you more consideration than those who don't have anything because at least they show stick-to-it-iveness! Anyone who can tough something out for 4 or 5 years must have some kind of determination and resilience. That's the kind of thing employers look for. A degree always looks good on a resume, and with most employers, the payscale does take your qualifications into account.