Taking calculated risks

I've never considered myself much of a gambler. I'll proudly take my place with the low stakes gamblers at the nickel slots in any casino. But I've come to realize that I do have a bit of a risk taking streak after all.

Now this isn't pity party for Liz, "I used to have to walk uphill in the snow both ways" talk or anything, but I didn't really come from any kind of background that would support going to college, much less to major in Art. In most parents' minds, an Art major is right up there with Philosophy or Women's Studies (no offense!) in terms of future job prospects. Whenever I have to meet with prospective stuents' parents the dreaded, "how will my child ever survive" question invariably always comes up. Luckily my parents were cool enough to let me do the only thing I was ever really interested in doing.

So not only was this the case with undergrad, but when I set my sites on a private art school for my graduate studies, the tuition was a serious inhibitor. But I thought about it. How long would to take me without a graduate degree to earn enough money to pay for tuition? And then how much higher would my salary be with a terminal degree? With a much higher salary I could pay back my tuition must faster than I could ever save it up. So I took out loans, mostly fed but a few private, and I went to grad school. I had a good experience, I learned a lot about art and I got into teaching straight out of grad school. I wouldn't be where I am now if I hadn't taken the risk of student loans and I'm happy I took that risk.

And now (not to brag, I swear) I have many opportunities to present both my artwork and my research at conferences and exhibitions all over the world. Sure, my university does have some support for this, but not really enough to cover the cost of traveling to everything - I have eight or nine trips I scheduled for just this year alone. Very often I have heard faculty lament about not going to a conference because the university wouldn't cover the costs. But isn't this, as the saying goes, cutting off one's nose to spite their face? Can you just imagine someone's resume or tenure portfolio listing all the prestigious conferences they were "invited" to but did not intend? All the grant proposals they developed but never completed because they couldn't get any money? Good luck with that. The truth is that while it is great if your university can support you, very often they can't and it's no excuse to not produce and become an important and relevant scholar in your field.

I'm footing the bill for several trips to Europe this year. This all while paying off those aforementioned student loans. But I don't mind, I'm not panicked. Again, the benefits versus the cost make this a calculated risk. I love what I do. I love to make art and I love to teach art. Having the ability to be a keynote speaker, or share my artwork and my teaching philosophy and to make a name for myself in my field are all worth the cost of a plane ticket. It makes me a better artist and scholar, not to mention really boosting my frequent flyer points!

Too often I hear from students who are getting ready to graduate or who have just graduated that they thought about grad school but that it was too expensive so instead they are going to work a while and then go. I know what I'm going to say is a horrible sweeping generalization, but I think for many of these students that is a mistake. Unfortunately, there's not much one can do these days with just a BA. I worry about those students. I wonder if they'll ever go back to making art. Often times they don't. Many students come back a year or two after they've graduated frustrated that they haven't made artwork since school.

So whatever your goal is, grad school, a conference in Prague, or whatever, you should ask yourself, "is this really out of reach?" My mom tells me sometimes that I'm lucky to have achieved everything that I have. But I have realized that it wasn't so much that I was lucky as that I was stubborn. I knew what I wanted, and I didn't stop until I found a way to get it. What do you want? Are you going to go after it or wait and see if it comes to you?

Image by MarkyBon