Why School Aesthetics Are Silly

I had the privilege of attending three different colleges/universities for my art education. I did a diploma in Fine Art at a budding university, brought that diploma to another university that was more established to finish off my Bachelor’s in Fine Arts and then jetted off to Ireland to pursue a Master’s degree at a tiny art college by the Atlantic Ocean. I have seen many styles and heard many different opinions on aesthetics and styles etc. Here’s my opinion which I think is the take-away.
    You do you babe. At the end of the day all schools have their own aesthetics and style that they try to culture whether intentionally or not and you have to do you. There is no law or bible on aesthetics and style that you must obey (although some professors would probably disagree). At the end of the day, its your work and you have to live with what you made. Being true to yourself is way more important than being part of a style club. Its so ridiculous, because opinions vary across the board. I had some teachers that absolutely loved my gestural style of drawing and mark making and other teachers that criticised it. At the end of the day, while I am graded by them, I still take the work home and have to live with it and myself. So, I always make sure that what I’m doing is me, and not focussing on the style that a school is trying to cultivate. Style and skill are separate. Skill should be the focus, not style.