Why should you take Visual Arts in school? This is a question teachers often face when recruiting students to jump into their classes. If asked, you will be greeted with a big list of everything from enhancing creative thinking, broadening the mind, and enriching the soul and critical thinking skills.
If you are wanting to unpack a complete guide to your NCEA Level One year of Visual Arts then check this blog out here. Maybe you would like to see a spotlight on the Internals that you will do during the year? Are you wanting to demystify useful art terms like Principles and Elements? Or maybe you are wanting some more tips and tricks for navigating how to tackle Visual Arts problems.
Art allows you to be dynamic and flexible in ways you cannot achieve with other subjects. However, Visual Arts equally can put you in good stead when considering your career in whatever industry you end up in. In fact 4 of 5 potential employers agree that studying the Arts and acquiring artistic skills puts you in sound competition as being an attractive potential candidate for a job. Let’s go through the skills that will really help you throughout your future career.
Visual Arts helps develop integral, transferrable skills
Time management
This is a big one. Throughout the year you will be tasked with a range of achievement standards, and time will very much be of the essence. Visual Arts NCEA Level 1 will prepare you for level 2 and 3 as it focusses on managing your time more efficiently. This will help navigate your career when you finally pick it. In pretty much all industries you will need to structure your time. In this way, Visual Arts will equip you for such endeavours when you finally need to step out into that big wide world.
Creativity
Yes, creativity is all about expression, of course it is: but it’s also about finding unique solutions to problems that you have been stuck on and working through them. In this way, learning how to be an effective creative thinker is in your interest for any line of work that you choose to pursue. For instance, you could come up with the idea to market your outdoor decor business, by choosing to put your advertisement on a park bench. It’s little things like changing your thinking, or how you choose to look at something, that can make a real big difference in your overall career experience.
There is no right or wrong, just exploration
Of course, for example in the sense of mastering how to draw that perfect circle, there is definitely a right or wrong. However, rules are made to be broken and once you have mastered fundamentals in Visual Arts, then you can begin to break the rules. Unlike subjects like Science and Maths where there is usually one methodical answer, Visual Arts instead pushes for a more holistic round-about approach, where you can come at something from many different angles. While having boundaries and limitations are important, to have a successful career you must also reach out and be able to take risks. It is Visual Arts which allows you to do just that, going full steam ahead. Still feeling like you are playing it safe? Give yourself a pep talk and amp up that confidence! Ask yourself what would you do if you couldn't fail? By doing this you could help curb your doubts and help reveal what could be possible. Do this exercise every now and then, to push yourself forward.
Evaluating, evaluating, evaluating!
With your Internals and your External board you will be assessing your technique and chosen theme. This evaluation is both technical and conceptual. Having analytical skills is crucial both as a life skill and in pursuing your career. You will research widespread artforms and artists to receive insights and these will inform your individual practice. You will be able to understand how a work or piece has been put together and through some reflection, comment on what needs to be done for your own work. Skills like evaluation and analytical thinking are in high demand as a many careers will require these skills.
Broaden your horizon!
In your NCEA Level 1 Visual Arts journey, you will unpack many different types of artists, go through their unique backgrounds, life stories, processes and histories. In this way you will always be asked to consider alternative perspectives which differ from your own personal viewpoint. This will bring your attention away from yourself and connect you to wider issues and perspectives. These include technological, social, historical, environmental, political. Having a good awareness of community and other individuals will open your eyes and give you a bigger understanding. This could include empathy for others and their unique situations, limitations, regrets, hopes and, struggles and dreams. Whether you stick with Visual Arts Level 2 or 3, this skill is always going to be helpful as you continue on in life. Career wise, having a sense of empathy can be the difference between a good manager and a great manager. The ability to see from another’s perspective is invaluable and celebrated as a great interpersonal skill.
You are in control
Art makes you realize you have the skills to materialise your own reality. Art gives you confidence in having as well as implementing your own ideas. Through clever planning, you can slowly develop an idea and see it through to the end of it’s completion. You can make things! And that is a very powerful thing to do and no small feat. This skill is transferrable to your career. For example there may be a time in your career where you need to create a power point presentation or flyer. With your background of Visual Arts this will be right up your own ally! Remember, you can bring things into existence: something from nothing- that’s nothing to be sneezed at.
Non-verbal communication
Depending on what you choose to draw/paint/take a picture of/sculpt etc: you will most likely come across the human figure, and face at one point. Truly remarkable in its depth, there is endless amount of study to go into creating the face, both conceptually and technically. However, once you become more familar with facial expressions this will help increase your skills to discern nonverbal communication. Did you know 70-93% of communication is nonverbal? In short, non-verbal communication is highly important. So all that slaving away, drawing your figures will be worth it. Again this is prevalent in almost all industries.
Why study art?
Visual Art brings us all together. Without art, people can lose a sense of cultural identity. Art echo’s our identity. It reminds us what’s important, challenges us and encourages us to think and be different or simply to consider a new point of view. There is also some significance in beautifying a space. Adding Visual art to a space adds artistic and emotional value to that space.
Where can you look to find jobs?
Well, that ol’ Internet has sure as anything opened it up! Look around you and you will notice all the tech we have been burrowing our heads in so intently. Computers, iPhones and tablets: they are everywhere. Businesses everywhere have an online presence. Whether it’s socialising, delving for information, shopping, or engaging with streaming: chances are, the internet is part of your rountine. Visual Arts are in! Lots of businesses hire a graphic designer, illustrator, animation artist or painter to make digital art. Even if you wanted to stick to fine arts and tactile artforms like painting and drawing, you can always sell your prints online as a side hussle as well.
Try Superprof!
Still having some trouble getting your head around Visual Arts NCEA Level 1? That’s no worries at all. It can be daunting remembering everything for those pesky achievement standards. If you are wanting more assistance, why not try Superprof? Superprof is an online tutoring website designed to help get you to the next level of any subject. Simply type in Visual Arts and you will be greeted with a variety of other art practitioners, Alumni students and some teachers. You can get help with asking questions about your art board, unpacking certain artists and their styles, as well as nailing those techniques your stuck at nailing. The first lesson is free, so there really is a strong incentive to have a go and see if tutoring is right for you. Together with your teacher, your tutor and you, will draw up a good game plan with how best to tackle all the achievement standards in the year. So, log on to Superprof today and check out those tutors!
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