My name is Sondra - I'm living a pretty creative life - left school, sold my house, went on the road for six months, went to burning man, settled in colorado and have been producing events, renovating an old warehouse that used to be a brothel, painting, sculpting, pushing boundaries. I think the key is to just decide that all your ideas need to be produced then do them. I used to think I needed other people to tell me that they were good and should be done (that's the institutional thinking thing) and then I finally realized that it's ok to fail - it's imperative to experiment and that my voice is just as necessary as anyone else's. And now I've been doing everything that comes into my head to do.

It's kinda overrated depending on who you ask, Max. It's great for honing skills, branching out, and learning to hob knob with the elitist art snobs and sling their pretentious lingo around. If you wanna spend the rest of your life schmoozing in art galleries, speculating on artists intents and critiquing their work whether you do art yourself or not, it's the place to be. That's about it unless you are going into a field that requires extensive technical training and a degree (graphic design, web, interiors, etc). Many of those for whom art is a more raw and personal thing find it exhausting over time and come away from the experience creatively frazzled, having been made to force their energies and grasp at straws for inspiration that is not genuine (to meet a deadline and make a good grade regardless of a lack of interest or passion for a given project). Seems alot of people have a hard time bouncing back and regaining their own artistic identity and energy. That was the case for me and some others I've heard from. You can make it as an artist without going to art school, and you'll spend a lot less money