In an age where the computer is God, everything is virtual. Printed copies of newspapers are disappearing, magazines are arriving via email rather than actual mail, and art is blossoming in photo editing systems like Adobe Photoshop and Gimp rather than on paper or canvas. As someone so in love with the physical—obsessed with the idea of a full bookshelf rather than a Kindle, of a canvas with paint rather than a clickable paint tool, this virtual world has been difficult for me to accept. But as I’ve explored both mediums in my college courses, I have begun to realize that virtual expression doesn’t have to be a replacement for physical art so much as it can be an alternate option.
Beyond this realization has been the epiphany that I can actually create art that is deemed sellable—an epiphany so new that no teacher ever taught me about it, or recommended that I try out digital media as an alternate to studio art. An official Digital Media certificate would have perhaps provided me with a list of skills that I can put on my resume. A list that someone might actually hire me for.
As much as I adore all things involved in the studio arts—mainly the beautiful process that comes with blasting music, pressing oil pastels to paper, breathing in the heady scent of paint, and accidentally rubbing rainbows beneath my eyes—tangible art is much more difficult to sell, unless you plan on making a living as a gallery artist. A Digital Media certificate would have been a wonderfully useful addition to my major (although I definitely wouldn’t have had room for it with my current list of certificates).
Here’s a picture of some of my hand-made art. This one was done in pencil on art paper. It was my mom’s mother’s day gift.
Case in point—to all those Studio Arts minors out there, or those of you interested in art in general, a Digital Media certificate might be a wonderful fit for you!
If you’re looking to read more about this topic, here’s an article that explores how video clips, pictures, and interactivity on online digital forums also serve as art. Check it out!
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