Ask Me Help Desk - How can I survive IB visual arts this year?

This is my first year taking the IBDP in Hong Kong, I take visual arts higher level for group 6 and I really really regret taking this huge risk.

HL requires us to finish 8-13 studio work, along with doing comparative study and more, it requires us to use up all of our spare time to think of every concept for our work.

I wasn't born or trained with creativity, and I pretended I was the whole time, I forced myself to take arts class and it's the worst mistake I've made, in these 2 months my teacher did not have high hopes for me at all, she does appreciate my hard-working attitude but today she warned me that in my current state, I can no longer study art by November because of my lack of creativity or qualitative concepts, she suggested to 'end the suffering'

The thing is that throughout my junior high school years I knew I wasn't built for studying art, and I did have the option to drop the subject back then, but I was stubborn enough to continue it somehow, now I no longer have the option to drop it. The first 2 years was hard enough already, I tend to get emotional breakdowns (crying) whenever I get criticized.

I did expect it would be more difficult this year, but after pulling all nighters 3 nights in a row, it is ridiculous, the words my teacher said to me this afternoon did a number on me, it was too much for me to handle so I had an emotional breakdown longer than usual, I know I have to give up at this point, there was no other way to continue on.

Now I realized that I have no interest in arts and there is no way I can do better, my teacher is fed up with me and she was right. However since I didn't have the option to drop the subject and coincidentally my parents arranged for me to study in Melbourne, transferring was my only option.

Regardless, I love the IBDP other than the arts class, now I have 9 months left to study in Hong Kong and I have to find ways to put up with my teacher. I don't want my art teacher to be the reason of me getting depression. How can I at least survive this year?

You art teacher is trying to help you. She is just telling you, what you already know. Why do your focus the issue on the teacher. In art. Some people will hate your work and talk bad about it, no matter how good it is, so many famous works, people hate them.

If you can not accept people talking bad about your ability and your work, you need to stop now, and do something else.

You may lose a year, but yes, just stop, go home, and go back to school next year in another program, if you know, you do not like this, can not do it, and do not want to do it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck

You art teacher is trying to help you. She is just telling you, what you already know. Why do your focus the issue on the teacher. In art. Some people will hate your work and talk bad about it, no matter how good it is, so many famous works, people hate them.

If you can not accept people talking bad about your ability and your work, you need to stop now, and do something else.

You may lose a year, but yes, just stop, go home, and go back to school next year in another program, if you know, you do not like this, can not do it, and do not want to do it.

That is exactly wt I will do but I have to wait for 9 more months, whether I like it or not. Basically I got trapped in the course and there's nothing I can do but to wait.

I know my limits and what my teacher said was right, its not that people hate my work, it's that it really is exceptionally bad and slow, even she felt helpless about it. This is more of a personal case so it can't relate to most art students, I already know I'm not capable of being an art student, I've accepted it, but I still have to deal with it.

All I care right now is not disappointing my teacher any further in these last 9 months, but I don't know exactly how, this is what I'm asking for.

Art is often very subjective, unless you are being taught a specific skill to try and accomplish. Focus on making gains from where you currently are. It may not be exactly what she is expecting, it may not be at the same level at the other students, but it could be better for you. Small improvements can be an accomplishment, even more so when the work is a challenge... and remind your teacher of that too.

This is a follow-up question I have asked before, something about IB visual arts class in Hong Kong, ever since that day has ended, everything is going downhill, at first my art teacher was mad at me for procrastinating, it wasn't the first and I made a huge mistake, I never meant to disappoint her, I wasn't build for studying arts, that's for sure.

Only my teacher was mad at me but now even the classmates are ignoring me, one of them used to be close to me was even direct at telling me to go away. We had a school picnic recently and it was awful, I was grouped with those 3 classmates in an afternoon game and they all pretend I wasn't there, they made fun of me whenever I try to show up. I couldn't believe that they ruined my day.

Today is school day and I didn't go back because I'm afraid of them, my classmates and my teacher. It has been 2 days since not going to school, I've never done something like this before. I'm so stressed out from the workload at first, now that they are involved, it has gotten much worse.

And please don't blame my art teacher, she is only strict but she means well, I don't blame her but she keeps getting to me. She's not like those bad teachers out there, I swear.

Once again, due to many reasons I don't have the option to drop arts, I'm basically stuck at the course and it's worse than giving up on it, I was in denial, now I'm forced to study something I never was interested in, I really, really regret making the wrong choice.

I did talk to my parents and my teachers (through texting) and they did try to reason with me and console me a bit (though I honestly didn't feel any better at the moment), but my class teacher said I can't be stressful through school, I was mad at him because I don't think he will understand how I feel.

Who else can I ask for help? I'm so guilty and so stressed out, I can't take this anymore, please help me.