<p>wow yeah. some interesting thoughts.</p>
<p>I think that .. we think similarly because there is a certain way that artist-people think, otherwise we wouldn't all appreciate what other artists do, we wouldn't like looking at art and we wouldn't avoid saying things like 'what's the point?' or 'what does that mean?' or 'that's not practical!' I think whata art school does it teach us all to be more individual and give us direction. the most unique artists began fairly normally.. even Andy Warhol, with his earliest soup can paintings, was using the same lines and drips.. the same quality and character of line that most artists seem to share. when someone brought it up to him, he said, 'I'm a painter, I have to drip,' but when they suggested not dripping he said 'yes, of course!' and he stopped dripping.</p>
<p>once someone told me that my personality and art reminded her of an artist friend of hers. I wasn't sure what to make of that but I figured that she was the same 'type' as me. people really do fit rather nicely into 'type' groups, even while they are individuals. I think it's something I'll be grateful for later, that I can fit into a a niche of some sort, have a group I can go back to that thinks like me.</p>
<p>it's funny - I was thinking about that being the best in high school situation before. I used to avoid saying it to myself because it felt haugty, but I can't just deny that, that I am best in the school now. i am not interested in art in the same way that the other art students are. it's just what you said, really.. some are fake hipters.. but most are nice, artistic-minded people that I like talking to, but art is just their.. hobby.. that or they say, 'it is how I express my emotions.' I always felt that saying that 'expressing my emotions' was the sole purpose of art was cheapening it, because it's other things. my art teacher really hit it in his reccomendation letter... he said that there was a difference between an art student and an artsts and he said I was an artist. I wouldn't yet like to call myself that, but there is a difference between the regular hipster arty types and people who just want to do art for life, and we know it. </p>
<p>(you know when people say, 'so-and-so used to be an artist but he quit,' or 'I am going to start drawing?' it sounds so bizarre! (Gauguin and Cezanne are the only exceptions I can think of right now) because how can you quit your own identity? answer: if you never 'were an artist' in the first place.)</p>
<p>about competiton in art.. i feel the same way. there is this one junior is rather good, and it's been freaing me out a bit.. i keep thinking, god, if there's one in every grade, and then four at every high school, and all the high schools in illinois, and all the midwest, and the country... holy crap, where do <em>I</em> factor in?!' I got all antsy when the junior made some oil paintings so I did one. I knew there was no competiton but I pretended there was, and I made a better painting than I ever had before. I do thrive off of competiton but I get discouraged whnever I think about the huge pool of people who have to get out of if you want to go anywhere. how do you DO that?! there's too many people!</p>
<p>ever have people at high school say to you, 'ooo, you're gonna be like some famous artist one day!'? no, i'm freaking NOT! have you seen all the other people?! i feel bad not saying 'thank you' very nicely to them but I'd feel like a moron saying my goal is to become a famous artist. (even though, and i will hardly ever admit this, it kind of is.)</p>
<p>an aside- I didn't actually look this site up myself, my mom was reading somehting to me form it and I said, 'hey, what's the site, gimme the address.' anyway, i've also been wondering where the other applicants are!</p>