INTERVIEWED BY ANYA HABER

JEANIE LO — B.F.A. WRITING, “WHAT DEFINES ART?”

I was 13 when I compared myself to my talented artistic friends and thought I had zero percent creativity. My self-esteem plummeted. However, I read illustrator Danny Gregory’s book, ‘The Creative License’ that gave me hope. He wrote that everyone is capable to be creative. It made me realize I can nurture my own creativity.”

 

MASHA ZHDANOVA— B.F.A. SEQUENTIAL ART, COMICS CORNER

My hometown and the environment I grew up in were very academically oriented. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, except that I hated math and science and the only things I liked to do I didn’t think I could be successful at. It wasn’t until I met someone who was applying to art school for animation that I realized it was possible to draw, tell stories and make comics for a living. Once I saw that real people had jobs doing things I liked to do, I felt like I had a goal to accomplish. That one interaction with a friend of a friend helped me realize what I wanted to do with my life, by changing my perspective on what counts as an acceptable life choice.

 

DANA SANMAR— M.F.A. ILLUSTRATION, COVER

I think every experience you have changes you and the way you see the world, especially if it involves learning. A big experience that changed my perspective was getting out of my country for the first time. I’m from Colombia and I came to the U.S. as an au pair a couple of years ago. It was an amazing experience that opened my horizons to new things, other new experiences and new cultures but also changed my perspective of my country.

 

BEATRIZ ESPINOSA— MFA ILLUSTRATION, “VIRTUAL REALITY”

When I started the MFA Illustration program here at SCAD, I knew I had to work really hard to catch up to other students that had been drawing all their lives or had done their undergrad program in art. The first year was the hardest and loneliest. But, during my second year at SCAD I started talking to more of my classmates. By getting to know these wonderful people I started to realize that even the ones I thought were so talented and intimidating were also filled with insecurities and personal struggles. I would say that the moment I started to know my classmates better, was the moment I realized that no matter the work you do or how famous you get, insecurities are a daily part of life. I also learned that getting to know the people around you is what keeps you sane, because they understand the struggle, and they are probably feeling the same way you do.”

 

CHLOE ENOS— B.F.A. PHOTOGRAPHY, “BEHIND THE LENS”

For as long as I can remember I have been a perfectionist. Occasionally, it’s a trait I’m thankful for. But, most of the time it’s something that makes life much harder. Last year or so, I had begun to realize that my extreme perfectionism was doing nothing but making me stressed and miserable. I remember reading something that said ‘perfectionism is the enemy of progress.’ This statement really resonated with me. For the past year, I’ve been working really hard on allowing things to be imperfect. I’ve learned that life is more about progress than perfection. This is something that I still have to intentionally work on every single day. But I have noticed that allowing things to be imperfect relieves so much of my stress. I’m OK with making a few mistakes. I’m OK with not being perfect. This change in perspective has definitely made a big impact in my life.