Am I crazy to be an art major?

Another, related, question. am I crazy to be an artist (even though I can afford never to sell anhything)? Right now I'm trying to start new paintings (I have nine days free and dedicated to beginning new works), and nothing is happening. My muse is off somewhere else. Doing artwork is SO delicious when it's easy, i.e., when my Dionysian muse is with me, and SO difficult when I'm abandoned to create solely by means of my conscious, deliberate (left-brained?) Apollonian faculties.

so true!

I'm wrestling with this Slapstick project. I'm going off in a totally different direction from the original graphic ideas. I'm looking at Harlequin. Incidentally Picasso painted Harlequins over many years and many versions - I'm sure you know.

I've researched the Commedia del Arte and it was surprisingly ideal for the Comedy Festival. They went on stage with a rough storyline but ad libbed, it was crude and bawdy - rather like the 'cutting edge' comedians now - and no doubt many at the comedy festival!

I shan't treat it figuratively but use the Harlequin pattern as a starting point - it will also link brilliantly with some work I did at uni and I can use that as research material.

I feel happier now. I couldn't work out how to tackle it in a way that developed my work but was still true to me so hadn't done any more for ages - now I feel like getting on with it

Vivien, GREAT! Now what about me?

look back at old work and see if it triggers any thoughts on ways forward or ways you'd do it differently now?

Set yourself a mood to express? try to express some music that appeals to you in paint? set yourself a new challenge and spend some time jotting down thoughts around it and doodles of ways to tackle it - that's what helps me when I'm stuck.

There is this fear factor to surmount when you haven't painted for a while - and also when tackling something new - an inertia sets in because of this - well for me anyway, and for me the only way through it is to get something done - preferably as a sketch or on paper where 'it doesn't matter' if it doesn't work - it's only paper.

It's a horrible feeling isn't it?

Yes, it's a horrible, impotent, feeling. But now I'm out of it and enjoying the euphoria of two promising new paintings (one brand new--36"X36"--and the other a radical revision of a smaller painting I brought with me to treat as a new work).
I just "put something down," (to get something done, as you put it) following a vague and intentionally tentative idea (an idea that did not paralyze me because I was not committed to it) and voila! the excitement returned. We can call painting The Agony and the Ecstacy, can't we? Too bad Florence (GS) is not in on this; she must have gobs of suggestions for this problem.

That's great. Yes i miss Florence - is she away somewhere or busy or bored?

Am I crazy
No, you are definitely not crazy; you seem to have a pretty good grip on the realities.

There is one thing I would suggest, though, and that is not specializing to narrowly. Take as wide a range of art courses as you can, given what you consider your strengths and preferences. Starting off too specialized in any field is dangerous - it can be very limiting when you're looking for an entry-level position. Flexibility is important.

Tomkitten, sounds like good advice. It seems to me that a wide range of exposures is good because of its exploratory value, but it is also important to really immerse oneself in those forms of art (mediums and philosophies) that excite you personally.

Thanks for the advice, Tomkitten, and everyone else too; I'm going to take a wide variety of classes when I get to my four-year school, as wide a variety as I can manage to squeeze in. I took a three dimensional design class last semester, which isn't normally my kind of thing, and it turned out to be a great experience. So I know I can get into all sorts of different things and different media and enjoy all of it.

This semester I'm finally getting to take a life drawing class, which is something I've wanted to do for years and years... I think it's going to be great fun and REALLY challenging! The more I get to take art classes (right now I'm getting my AA in Liberal Studies, so the art classes are just for fun and have to be few and far between), the more I'm convinced that no matter what happens careerwise, I have to major in art. I love it too much not to! I feel lucky to have something I'm passionate about, whereas most of the people I'm in college with don't have anything they love to do. So I'm even less concerned with the career part now, I just appreciate having something that I love to do so much.

That's wonderful, Cyphercat. Go for it!

A perfect attitude and open mind to get the absolute most out of it too Good luck

Yaaaaayyy!