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Mary Sparrow · 06-02-2004, 07:53 AM

Heidi, the reason I am "self-taught", is because I was told no. I wanted to grow up and be a painter. I wanted to go to art school.
I was told that was ridiculous. So I thought that maybe if I changed that a bit and told them I wanted to be a teacher (an art teacher) that would work. NO, my mother had been a teacher and talked me out of that. I was expected to go to UNC. So, that is what I did and majored in journalism. Did I ever do anything with that major? No. I went to work for a newspaper and within 3 months the art director had seen a sketch I did on my desk, he asked how fast I could learn to use a computer because they were short handed in the art department. That was the end of my journalism career. Next thing I knew I was the graphic artist and illustrator for an arts and entertainment magazine.

So, I ended up doing what I wanted to do anyway, but always wonder where I would be had I gotten the proper training. I will NOT do that to my children.

06-02-2004, 07:53 AM	#2
Mary Sparrow EDUCATIONAL MODERATOR Juried Member Joined: Jul 2001 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,120	Heidi, the reason I am "self-taught", is because I was told no. I wanted to grow up and be a painter. I wanted to go to art school. I was told that was ridiculous. So I thought that maybe if I changed that a bit and told them I wanted to be a teacher (an art teacher) that would work. NO, my mother had been a teacher and talked me out of that. I was expected to go to UNC. So, that is what I did and majored in journalism. Did I ever do anything with that major? No. I went to work for a newspaper and within 3 months the art director had seen a sketch I did on my desk, he asked how fast I could learn to use a computer because they were short handed in the art department. That was the end of my journalism career. Next thing I knew I was the graphic artist and illustrator for an arts and entertainment magazine. So, I ended up doing what I wanted to do anyway, but always wonder where I would be had I gotten the proper training. I will NOT do that to my children.