I've been sharing a lot about my current artistic path and goals, but I figured I should share some of my past regarding my studies and work with Interior Design!
After my first degree (Bachelors of Fine Arts) in NY, I immediately moved to Colorado to pursue a degree in Interior Design. Looking back on this decision, it was heavily driven by the "fact" that one does not make a living as an artist. One makes a living with a proper career. So I "needed" something strong to fall back on. I decided that career needed to be creative, and I had an interest in design (mainly interiors - the spaces where people interact).
I wanted to focus on sustainable design, so I chose the school whose Interior Design program was highly renowned for incorporating Sustainable design methods (in 2007 that was RMCAD in Colorado, but it has since changed drastically after being bought out be Full Sail).
So in 2007, we packed up and moved to Colorado. 3 years later, I graduated and immediately got a job. The rest is history, as they say.
Here are some of my school projects just to give you an idea.
At first, we were required to hand-render our designs with pencil and marker.
Kitchen Design, Prisma Colored Pencil 2008.
Adjacent Living Room, Prisma Markers and Colored Pencils, 2008.
Another conceptual kitchen design, Prisma Markers and Colored Pencils, 2008.
Office Design, Prisma markers and pencils, 2008.
Later in our studies, we were required to learn how to use Autodesk Revit Architecture for floor plans and 3D Rendering (not the best for 3D rendering, but it was still pretty powerful and it directly integrated into the floor plans so we could send the full package to an architect).
Entrance, Sushi Restaurant Concept called "Koi", 3D Rendering, 2009
Private Bar, Sushi Restaurant Concept called "Koi", 3D Rendering, 2009
Main Dining, Sushi Restaurant Concept called "Koi", 3D Rendering, 2009
Buddha Bar, Sushi Restaurant Concept called "Koi", 3D Rendering, 2009
Optional Reception Dining for Events, Sushi Restaurant Concept called "Koi", 3D Rendering, 2009
My favorite classes involved sustainable design concepts such as maximizing passive daylight and heating strategies by southern exposure (building orientation), ventilated roof and evaporation cooling for passive cooling, heat reclaim and water harvesting. I was NOT a fan of choosing fabrics and furniture and stuff to fill a space, rather I was drawn to the core design and function of a space, and incorporating our human Need for Nature into the built environment. Much of my studies were dedicated towards learning building codes, ADA (American Disability Act) design requirements, and classical design elements, but I also took at least one extra class each semester in another subject, like art history or figure drawing, in order to expand my mind.
Here's a super embarrassing photo of me standing in front of my Senior Show project (which was sustainable concept remodel of the University of Southern Indiana)
Even though I'll be paying off student loans until I'm 50, I wouldn't change a thing. All of my experiences during this rigorous course of studies made me stronger, and led me to my current path.
We can't regret our choices. We can only learn from them. I've always been a very hopeful person, and focus on the positive (even though I'm an anxious worrying mess too). I have so much hope and excitement about the future. My previous studies have provided me with a very strong foundation on which to stand, and shaped me into the person I am today.
Changing career paths shouldn't be something to fear, you should embrace it like the first sign of spring. Perhaps it's exactly what you need to get rid of the stale winter, and begin your artistic thaw.