I am 20 years old and studying to become a sculptor. The problem is that… Eh… I‘m not really into it. Not that I dislike it, it‘s just that I don‘t really care that much about sculpting. And the issue is that I kind of know what I want to do with myself, but I am also too afraid to do it. I‘ll try to explain. Ever since I was little, I was an artsy person: I drew a lot, and got actually really good at it (I mean it, “academic art” type of good), finished one art school, then another and then got into the university that I am currently in. The thing is that studying here for more than a year got me thinking if I really want to pursue this career: I feel like wasting time, I live abroad and am sometimes homesick (my granny now lives alone), my dad keeps on telling me that he has no hopes for me (props to him for helping me financially tho), I started popping pills from time to time etc… Meanwhile, this summer two of my closest friends got me into fashion design (one of them is currently studying to become a fashion designer): we did some clothes together, I sketched a bit for both of them/with them and actually enjoyed it a lot. And they‘re some actually talented guys; they know their way around a bit and are inspired by trap and punk culture. It just feels different. And I do realize that it might be a passion of mine only for a few months or so, but still… I also care about the way I look a lot more now than I did a few years back. I do not care about sculpting nearly as much. The question is: should I leave sculpting and try to get into fashion design; or should I finish studying here for another two years and see what‘s next?
P.S. My dad will, most likely, get mad at me for leaving sculpting. On the other hand, I might stay in the same university and study for a fashion designer or come home and do the same thing. Hmm… I‘m not sure.
As someone in his 40s who struggles to pay bills, all I can say is that sculpting is a horrible career path for someone who’s not into it.
A career needs at least (ideally both) passion and earning potential. If you aren’t into the sculpting, drop out of whatever expensive program you’re taking immediately.
Given a choice between the two, I recommend passion over money. Mostly because in my own experience, I can’t keep a job when there’s no passion, so it doesn’t matter how much money it is.
Some people are stronger than me though, and can just power through a job without passion. If you have that ability, that discipline, then it’s okay to seek money.
For me it just doesn’t work. I don’t have enough dopamine to get out of bed every day and actually keep the high paying job if it’s wrong.
That being said, passion itself is on the same spectrum as goodness. I can do a job I don’t really care much about, so long as the boss doesn’t require me to lie or hurt people while doing it. Like, I can flip burgers as long as it’s a fair situation.
I’m kind of an outlier. Take my advice with a grain of salt.
But my basic advice is that unless there’s some sculpture career pipeline I’m not aware of that’s gonna lead to big bucks, if you ain’t into sculpting you gotta fucking stop yesterday. Especially if you’re paying lots of money to pursue it.