Well, as my son plows his way through his senior year in high school, his father is left to ponder his higher education.
This lad is certainly well above average intelligence, but is resolutely silent and private about school matters. For three years I have tried to detect an interest in some specific field, some area of study, to guide his college search.
Zip, zilch, nada, until recently.
He wants to pursue a career in art! He won't be more specific, but that may be because he isn't sure yet, or that his language skills haven't reached the level needed to articulate his desires more precisely.
His teachers claim he has the talent, but the scion of my line is tall, thin, with black hair and blue eyes, a winning smile, and a deep voice with a strong Russian accent. To wit, he is cougar bait, and I don't know whether his art teachers (all female) are impressed with his work or just wobbly in the knees. The closest I came to art practice was T-square and triangle drafting in high school, so I can't render any judgement.
And now for the challenge: how to I educate him to the degree necessary to provide for himself and a family? He has mentioned an interest in computer animation, but from what I've heard, all teenagers want to be computer animators or rock stars. He's had some contact from local (Boston area) art schools, but I'm afraid that such an institution might not give him the additional coursework he needs on his language skills, history, etc.
I'd truly appreciate it if someone could advise me on which areas of art training (i.e. computer graphics, industrial design, etc.) would be suitable for avoiding disaster while meeting his apparent desire for a career with a strong creative component. My brother in law holds an MFA from Columbia in visual arts (emphasis on oils), yet is forced to earn his crust by teaching and carpentry; while he seems happy enough to paint part-time, I can see that he feels the lack of ability to put more time into his work.
Sorry for the long post, but my heir has truly dragged me into terra incognita this time, and I need a beacon quick.
73,