I have always wanted to be a little different from others. I've never wanted to fit into the crowd, but always stand out and push myself- I've never wanted to think inside or outside the box, but rather transform and challenge it.
And I think my need to be unique has found its full expression in art and design. It may have started when I was 12, when I first started decorating my room by creating 'inspiration' boards, or even when I was eight- and used to grind up flowers and dirt and leaves to create different textures and colours on paper.
My parents gave me an exposure to so much art from such a young age- which really developed my interest in art and design. And so growing up was the most enriching and exciting experience, because as the daughter of a filmmaker/ artist and an organic food restaurateur, life has been a scattered, beautiful mess. And I thank my parents for this everyday.
Today I feel my approach to art is process rather than outcome oriented, as I have a natural thirst to learn. I love making mental maps, diagrams, and rough sketches before starting my work; this allows me to follow a natural pattern of thought to arrive at the finished work, but also allows me to review my work and learn effectively from my mistakes. Writing for me is an essential part of the artistic process- I really enjoy creating stories and poems; and I illustrate these with storyboards and drawings reflective of the writings.
My love of research and learning also means that I'm really inspired by humanities. I love existential philosophy, the psychology of conditioning, and Native American Indian folklore and myths- to name a few. And I feel this really comes through in my art- my work is an amalgamation of these concepts, thoughts and my interpretation of them, and aesthetic art forms across different mediums.
A sub- conscious theme across my work has perhaps been existentialism and surrealism; I am inspired by Magritte, and Ernst, and Frida Kahlo. The theme really reflects me as an individual- black inks, grey acrylics and super whites bring out the negative aspect of the concept; but I also feel that through bright yellows and water colour pinks and blues, I am able to bring out another, lesser known aspect of existentialism- that you can create meaning in a meaningless life by being happy and loving people. And that is me in an essence.
Taking up art as a subject in school has really allowed me to refine my technique and skills, as well as grow as a conceptual thinker. I went to Mirambika till grade 10, and it was there that I discovered that learning is an exciting adventure, and not just a chore in school. After Mirambika, I studied in Vasant Valley School- with an amazing art department with a faculty that has allowed me to get the most out of their creative experiences, as well as create my own unique artistic expression. These schools have also given me a platform to showcase my work in exhibitions and participate in competitions (such as the Artistic Effects competition, in which I claimed first place) as well as develop my love of contributive work- be it working collectively with my friends for an installation or brainstorming ideas for posters to display across school.
I see art in everything around me, I see art in myself; art which is dying to manifest itself. Creating for me is a process through which I am able to gain clarity, a process through which I am able to amalgamate all my learning and knowledge and skills into something reflective of me as an individual.
It is because of this that I want to pursue art- I want to combine my love for art with the tendency for entrepreneurship I inherited from my parents. Right now I don't know how to get there- but that is why I want to go to art school- so I can learn this, as well as much much more. I want to be a designer, and make a difference by exposing others from a young age to the creative world, just as I was.
And that's where SAIC comes in. I feel SAIC has this perfect balance of technique and concept based learning, which would be the ideal environment for me. Because of the unique inter- disciplinary course of study offered, I feel I would be able to grow as an artist and as an individual. Moreover, SAIC is a community- it is a community of artists all seeking to grow and expand creatively, and even imagining myself to be a part of this community excites me.
I also have a lot to offer SAIC too- I have my diversity of unique concepts and thought processes which would benefit the school. My collaborative tendencies would be helpful for group and inter- disciplinary workings. Values such as hard- work, patience and efficiency inculcated in me by my artist parents would also, I feel, go a long way in an arts education.
Ando so, I want to be an artist, a designer; I want to challenge and transform 'the box'; to develop as an individual; to challenge myself creatively; to grow artistically. I want to weave stories and narratives and create worlds through my work. I want to learn, as much and as far as possible. I believe SAIC can help me achieve my goals.
You misunderstand what a Statement of Purpose is. It is not the same as a personal statement, nor is it a statement of goals. What you have written is a personal statement. Therefore, your purpose is not clearly defined nor developed in the essay. I had to review your essay a few times before I found the purpose that I was looking for within it. So it turns out that your purpose is as follows:
I want to be an artist, a designer; I want to challenge and transform 'the box'; to develop as an individual; to challenge myself creatively; to grow artistically. I want to weave stories and narratives and create worlds through my work. I want to learn, as much and as far as possible. I believe SCAD can help me achieve my goals.
You need to develop this particular statement. Make it bigger and explain why you seek admission into the school. Your purpose is to become an out of the box artist and designer. You want to continue to challenge yourself creatively. These are all the main reasons that you wish to enroll in this school. How you plan to achieve these goals is the purpose for your enrollment. Everything that you mentioned prior to this was just filler. The essay you wrote was mostly filler that did not truly contain your statement of purpose. Now that I have isolated your purpose for you, you can revise the content of the essay to align better with the requirements of a statement of purpose.
Xi, your essay really answers the prompt in great detail. The problem is that your answers are not in chronological order. The admissions officer needs to see your talent progression from the very start. So you need to open the essay with a hook about your childhood discovery of art. It is at this portion that you can discuss the influence of your parents in relation to developing your interests in the arts. Then move on to the influence that your school had over the way you developed your artistic talent. Don't forget to mention any special classes you attended, amateur exhibits that you may have participated in, and any accolades that you have received for your work.
From point, you can transition to the development of your modern art work and the influence of the artistic greats on the development of your painting style. Don't be afraid to admit if you borrowed a style and tried to make it your own. This will open up the discussion to you "out of the box" reference in your essay. Transition from there to the reasons you decided to apply for admission to SAIC.
Try to review your essay and decide which portions you can delete without affecting the overall theme of your essay. It is too long at the moment and I am afraid to suggest anything for deletion as it might affect the context of the essay. I will leave that decision up to you.
The essay is really very good. It just needs to focus more and organize the way it is being told. Try to use an outline for the chronological discussion before you write the revised version of the essay. That will help you tighten the content and decide upon which portions to delete.
