Getting In!: The Ultimate Guide to Creating an Outstanding Portfolio, Earning Scholarships & Securing Your Spot at Art School

By Nancy Crawford

Getting In! demystifies the process of how to get accepted to the world’s leading art schools, thrive while you are there, and earn scholarships to fund your education. Getting In! outlines an in-depth process of how to ignite your creativity, create an outstanding portfolio of powerful and authentic works of art and design, and enhance your vitality and energy for creating. Getting In! will also enable you to identify and break through your creative blocks and procrastination. Getting In! is thorough in scope and depth, resulting in a creative experience that provides meaning, challenge, excitement, connection, joy, and success!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Apr 14, 2015
• ISBN: 9781630473341

Book preview

Welcome to Getting In!

We make a living by what we get.

We make a life by what we give.

—WINSTON CHURCHILL

I believe that creativity is the essence of what it means to be human. Creating is as fundamental to our development as learning to think, talk and move. From our first preserved traces as a species on this planet, through to our technologically driven world of today, humans have expressed themselves creatively. Through movement, music, storytelling and mark making we fulfil a deep need to manifest and share our unique way of experiencing life. We have been bestowed with the extraordinary ability to create symbols and metaphors that portray not only the world we inhabit, but worlds we imagine. What an incredible gift!

While everyone has been bestowed with the amazing capacity to create, few will continue to foster this creativity throughout their lives and even fewer will dedicate their lives to the creative process and answer the call to be an artist. This is tragic, for as Henry James wrote so eloquently, It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance… And I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process. This book is devoted to the courageous artists of today who have identified their creative passion and are enthusiastic about pursuing it further.

For three decades I have ‘lived’ in art studios and classrooms, working with people who have a passion for art and creating. These emerging artists were filled with drive and enthusiasm and had dreams of studying at amazing art schools around the world, fulfilling their desire to live and contribute as artists. They came to me with questions, they came to me with concerns, they came to me with hope. It was only natural that I wanted to help them succeed. What I came to realize over the years is that the seemingly daunting task of preparing for art school would often rob the students of the very experiences that their creativity provided and that they ultimately longed for – namely meaning, challenge, excitement, connection and joy. In their place came frustration, anxiety, negative stress and tears. I knew there must be a better way!

John Daido Loori said Indeed, what is the point of insight if it cannot be given, shared, used in a way to nourish both ourselves and others? Isn’t this the perennial question that every artist faces – indeed every person concerned with how to live a truly meaningful life? What is true giving? This book is part of my answer to that question. One of my major goals in writing this book is to help you keep the joy, excitement, and meaning in creating. I have learned that the only way for you to consistently experience the joy and meaning of exploring and creating while you are applying to art school is to execute a well developed plan. I realize that sounds like a contradiction, but this is just one of the many dualities that you will learn to embrace on this creative path.

Another goal that I have for this book is that it guides you to become thoroughly prepared to apply to art school. I want to help you get accepted to your dream school and I want to assist you in earning great scholarships to help you finance your dreams. The final purpose of this book is that its content and lessons prepare you to thrive and excel during your years in post-secondary and beyond. It’s not sufficient for me that you get into art school if you then crash and burn in your first or second year. If carried through, the tools outlined in this book will instill a work ethic that will ensure an outstanding collegiate experience and life as an artist.

And there’s more good news! Fortunately, there has never been a better time for you to pursue your dream of being an artist, and preparing to go to art school is simply one of your first big commitments to that end. In his brilliant, New York Times Best-seller, A Whole New Mind – Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, author Daniel Pink outlines how, The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind – creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers. These people – artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers – will now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys!

Our advanced world is changing at a staggering rate as a result of several powerful global factors including the population explosion, the onslaught of technology, mass production and consumerism. The Information Age, where the economy and society were supported by ‘computer-like’ qualities that were logical, linear and sequential in nature is dramatically shifting to the Conceptual Age where invention, creativity, empathy and meaning will be the foundation of both the economy and society. As a result, these factors are changing the qualities, skills and attributes that will be essential for success in this new world. And it’s all good news for you!

By reading Getting In!, doing the exercises, taking the action steps and creating your art, you will develop the qualities, skills and attributes that will not only guarantee your success getting into art school, but more importantly they will prepare you to thrive in our new world. You will enhance your creativity, build your courage, and have a great deal of fun through the process.

To that end, I have created a powerful framework for you to follow that will keep you on track with the myriad of obligations, responsibilities and deadlines that are a reality of the post-secondary application process. For better or worse – there is a lot more involved with getting into art school than the time spent in your studio.

This book has been organized into 3 parts – The Power of Planning for Art School, The Power of Creating Your Art and The Power of Sharing Your Art. In Part I – The Power of Planning for Art School you will be engaged with a number of activities that will galvanize your personal reason for creating your art. You will explore your artistic purpose, analyze what art careers you are well suited for, gain essential clarity around the art school application process, create an exciting vision for a creative future and establish some critical routines and rituals to keep yourself healthy, and feeling awesome!

The second part of the book – The Power of Creating Your Art covers the art part! In this section you will explore your creative process, and create powerful and meaningful works for your portfolio. You will also learn how to set up your own practise schedule, create dynamic mentor relationships and annihilate your procrastination tendencies in order to create your art.

The final section – Part III – The Power of Sharing Your Art will help you prepare your portfolio for presentation, along with looking at options for funding your post-secondary art education. You will also develop some effective strategies to help you carry on when the going gets tough, and learn how to respond gracefully with the admission outcomes.

Finally, the book closes with 2 appendices. The first one covers information on how to use the web site www.gettinginbook.com in conjunction with this book to support your creative development. On the web site you will have access to 20+ free downloads and templates that accompany the material in this book. You will also have access to several images and art works created by students - just like you. These images will help you understand the different components of the portfolio along with helping you establish the quality of artwork that is awarded merit-scholarship. There is also a description of a variety of additional resources and programs that might interest you as you create your personal program for artistic growth and development.

The final appendix includes a Recommended Reading List. I realize that your time for additional reading above and beyond school work may be limited between the months of September through June – but I encourage you to slowly create your own personal library of resources that you can utilize now and for years to come.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you won’t become the ideal art school candidate and an outstanding artist overnight. Developing yourself and your art is an ongoing process that requires time, energy and effort. Having said that, you can get started immediately, and see significant development and progress in a matter of weeks. In order to create lasting change and progress I have laid out the content of this book to be implemented over a period of 24 weeks.

During that time you will:

read and understand the entire contents of the book, moving strategically through each section

identify your reasons to make art

research a variety of art careers and art schools

choose the post-secondary art schools you will apply to

decide what art careers you are well suited for

understand the 10 key ingredients for Getting In!

state and achieve your art, education, personal development and community/contribution challenges

implement 10 strategies to maximize your health and creativity

set up your studio space

realize 10 powerful aspects of the creative process

create a minimum of 12 portfolio range works

produce a personal series of artworks for your portfolio (minimum of 6 works)

develop a process rich sketchbook

establish a supportive community of mentors and peers

bust through your procrastination tendencies

build your perseverance

start preparing your portfolio for sharing and critique

enhance your creativity using several strategies

and have one heck of a good time doing it!

Ideally, you would spend a minimum of one and a half to two years preparing for post-secondary art school, but depending on your level of artistic development, passion and energy this process could be intensified to cover a period of months.

The 24 week time line below is merely a suggestion. I have broken down the content of the book so that you can read small sections each week that build synergistically over time. I have also proposed when to take particular action steps and a schedule for portfolio projects. So let’s get started!

THINGS TO DO NOW!

Read through the table of contents and skim through the book so that you have a general understanding of its contents.

Read Chapter 7 from the introduction through to the end of the Range Project Ideas

Create one range work

Once this 24 week period is complete you should be able to maintain a solid practice and production routine for your art making while continuing to develop your creativity. With effective self care, this process should be both rewarding and joyous. You will be thoroughly prepared and excited to apply to art school, and you will be delighted with the fun you have had preparing for Getting In!

WEEK-BY-WEEK SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

ON A TECHNICAL NOTE

This book was written by a Canadian with an international audience in mind. As a result there are some terms and spellings that may be new or different for some readers. For example, in Canada we use the spelling colour and favourite as apposed to color and favorite. Also, students attending high school in Canada are referenced by their grade, such as grade 10, 11 or 12, whereas in the United States the terms sophomore, junior and senior are used.

You will also notice that there are many quotes featured throughout this book, and that each new section starts with a quote. I have loved words and reading all my life and started collecting quotes when I was fourteen. I collect quotes from many sources including songs, movies, poetry, quote sites on the internet, and through all my varied readings including newspaper articles, magazine features, and books. My hope is that you will find some ideas within the quotes that will motivate, inspire, or delight you, as they have for me.

This book’s layout is to promote you to make it your personal workbook. Use the margins to write out your thoughts, doodle and draw, brainstorm, create diagrams and images that reinforce your learning, define words you don’t understand, and generate your next art ideas. Inspiration and insight can often be triggered in the most unlikely moments, so use this space to capture your ideas - and enjoy the process!

Once you have completed each chapter you will see a diagram that highlights the section you have just completed as part of the Getting In! process. This graphic provides a powerful visual framework to remind you of the key aspects and actions for Getting In! to art school.

GETTING IN! – PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

10 KEY INGREDIENTS TO GETTING IN!

1 Post-Secondary Research

2 Application

3 Academic Records/Transcripts

4 Exams

5 Artist Statements and Essays

6 Letters of Recommendation

7 Home Exams

8 Portf olio

9 Declaration of Finances

10 Scholarships & Financial Aid

Part 1

The Power of Planning for Art School

Chapter 1

Purpose and Passion: Finding Your Reasons to Make Art

What is passion? It is surely the becoming of a person.

—JOHN BOORMAN

When students sign-up for one of my programs or classes the most common question I hear is, Can you help me create a portfolio? I usually respond to their question, with a question of my own, Why do you want to make a portfolio? Invariably, the answer is, I want to go to art school. While this answer tells me about their intention to continue their art education and artistic development at post-secondary, I realize that a much bigger, more passionate answer will be necessary to excite and sustain them over the months and years that lie ahead as they strive to realize their goals.

That’s what this first section of the book is dedicated to – helping you identify and articulate answers to some of the most important questions for you to consider:

Why do you want to go to art school? What are your BIG reasons?

What are your gifts, talents and natural inclinations?

What are you passionate about?

What do you think are some of the greatest challenges and opportunities that exist in the world right now? How can you contribute and serve with your art? Where do your passions and world needs align?

When you create works solely for the purpose of gaining access to postsecondary, your creating can become a means to an end, something to do, a chore. What I want you to do is expand your vision and consider your bigger reasons for continuing your artistic education.

It’s one thing to draw a