Design Business Interview

A college student recently interviewed me for her class and I thought I'd share with all of you.

The College Question

I get lots of young creatives asking for advice about what college or type of college they should go to. How does it affect them getting a job? Do employers care?

Workshops and Seminars

Every year I'm asked to give workshops at schools, libraries, arts festivals, business organizations. It's very exciting to be part of the events.

Advice to New Designers - Part 1

A friend just asked me to give her graphic design friend some advice.

I'm not sure what advice to give. I teach, so I could give a semesters worth of advice if you got me going. But, not sure what to say off the bat without a specific question.

Selling Out?

Many of my students have made comments about selling out...They'll refer to artists that they like who have sold illustrations or designs to corporate America as sellouts. To this I reply, "At least they sold something".

I was inspired by this gallery exhibition of "Red Bull Art of Can". http://www.redbullartofcan.com where it's an obvious Marketing ploy to promote Red Bull through art. However, the artwork is pretty cool! Check it out.

What good is art if it's sitting in house somewhere instead of being hung up or printed for public purchasing. What good is talent if it's waiting for that perfect job instead of creating something that was commissioned. I do think there are times when artists "sell-out" and represent themselves poorly for the sake of a dollar. But... Selling to corporate America or to the masses is successful business and will gain exposure for the artist and hopefully pull them out of that one room loft. Whether you like it or not, art is a business and always has been. It's only recently that Artists have been undervaluing their work.

- Paul Kiesche