When I tell people I'm an art major I get many mixed reactions. "What kind of job can you get with that?" "Is that a real major?" "You're lucky that must be so easy!"

But the truth is, it's a lot of work and just as important as any other major.

1. You have to buy your own supplies.

For every painting, drawing, photography, ceramic, and other classes you are required to buy your own supplies. These supplies aren’t cheap and can cost anywhere from 50-200 dollars for each class. If you add up all the art classes you take and the cost of the supplies, it can get pretty expensive.

2. You always have to think outside the box.

Part of being an art major is that you are required to always come up with new ideas. It’s not like math where there is one straight answer. There is no answer in art. It’s all about meaning and the impression and purpose it can leave and serve. You can’t copy other artist's work so you have to always come up with your own unique ideas.

3. You dedicate hours of free time to finishing projects.

Besides the time you get in class, being an art major requires hours of outside class time to get projects done. This can be especially difficult while balancing all the other projects and school work going on.

4. You’re constantly iterating projects and always trying to improve them.

There is always room for improvement on any project and you will constantly find yourself re-doing them, erasing, starting over, and fixing any little thing.

5. You have to be open to constructive criticism.

Many people don’t do well with constructive criticism, but it is a big part of an art major’s life. You must be open to advice and suggestions that can help make your work better. There will always be people who have more experience and it’s best to take their advice as encouragement and help rather than judgments.

6. You have to explain to people why you chose to be an art major.

This is a big one. People hear art major and right away think painter. However, Fine Arts is a huge field consisting of drawing, painting, design, ceramics, photography, and more. Everything around us is planned out and designed and plays a huge part in our everyday lives.

7. Transporting supplies.

Some projects will require you to go off campus where you will have to lug your huge bag of supplies around with you. This gets difficult especially when trying to walk through busy areas or put your bag down somewhere but it takes up four seats.

8. You have to constantly defend your major since no one understands it.

Except those in the field, of course.

9. You can never keep your clothes clean.

If you’re working in a studio on a project, sometimes it’ll become impossible to keep your clothes clean no matter how hard you try. You’ll think you did a nice clean job but then take a look in the mirror and see paint, charcoal, and dried clay all over your face.

10. And just when you think it’s perfect…

You’ll see someone else's work that makes yours look like it was done by a 10 year old and begin to question yourself on why you chose this major.

It's not all fun, and it takes a certain type of person to be able to do it. You have to love what you do and art is both an important part of the world around us and myself as a person.