Doubting the Viability of Vocational Arts Education? Don't.

One of the hardest and most frustrating things about being at a vocational college -- any vocational college -- is combating the stigma that students at these institutions are not cut out for anyplace else. And, as anyone who has ever attended art school is intimately aware, saying that our particular vocational college is for artists tends to ellicit an even more skeptical reaction from the non-believers. (Or, as I like to call them, the "pre-converts.")

From the very beginning of my time here (I've been at Flashpoint Academy for a little over 7 months now) it was evident that this was not the case with our students. Intelligent, well-spoken, creative, and extremely driven, the picture of your "average" Flashpoint student is anything but average.

I've seen them do amazing things. They've made festival-winning movies, produced music videos for national acts, developed video games that have impressed even your most prestigious game development companies, and created animations for real Hollywood features. A far cry from those at Le Institut de Refrigeration Repair, Flashpoint students constantly raise the bar not just for themselves and their classmates but for vocational education as a whole. It’s a truly remarkable thing to be a part of.

Recently, more than ever, I’ve been blown away by the work ethic and sheer talent I’ve witnessed around me. It occurred to me that even I, one of the foremost proponents of Flashpoint’s educational model, was not fully aware of the gifts our students have. Want to be impressed? Read first-year student Emily Greenquist’s winning entry into the Game Career Guide Game Design Challenge, or fall into second year student Pete Stilwell’s short story, “Embers.” While you’re at it, check out the amazing review of film alum Michael Noens’ latest feature film, Coasting. I dare you to find a more concentrated crop of talented young minds anywhere – 4 year colleges, I’m talking to you.

In short, the students at Flashpoint are proving that vocational and art education isn’t just for those who can’t make it anywhere else. It’s for those who wouldn’t waste their time doing anything but the things that move them. To me, although few paths are less traveled in traditional education, there is no more proven formula for lifelong happiness and success. And if this isn't how we should measure the value of education, then I don't know what is.

Urban Rebirth, Just In Time for Spring

Ah, Chicago in the springtime. Love is in the air, "Caution: Falling Ice" signs line the downtown streets, and the boys of summer very nearly throw out the first pitch on the South Side. It's a beautiful time to be alive, and I'm right here to witness it all.

Until recently, I had been working "up north," in a small town just outside of the city. There, the coming of spring is marked in more obvious ways, in the look and scent of the landscape, the re-emergence of robins, daffodils, and Crocs. Here, where the light off Lake Michigan pierces the gaunt giants of Mies Van Der Rohe and Sullivan, spring comes in the form of colorful silken scarves, damp sidewalks, and a sudden abundance of asparagus on lunch menus.

To me, though, the most palpable difference is in the attitudes of the people one passes on the street, on the L platform, even in the elevator. I am among the many who have developed a subtle spring in their step, but for me at least it's not just the weather.

About three weeks ago I started a new adventure at a new company, and what an adventure it has been. Flashpoint Academy in Chicago is by far the coolest place I've ever worked. As an English and History major from a traditional four year university with a passion for the 17th century, I never before envisioned myself fitting into such a mainstream and modern culture as the one they have at Flashpoint. Not only is this college physically along the major artery of business downtown, but the company's corporate and educational models are absolutely bleeding-edge. It's different than what I expected for myself, but as I come to love it a little more every day, I can't think of a better place to turn over a new leaf -- or whatever the digital equivalent of a leaf would be.

This blog is going to be a place for me to share my Adventures in Urban Living; to chronicle my experiences and share them with those interested in all of the things my job allows me to learn. My blog will touch upon all of Flashpoint's disciplines; film and broadcast, recording arts, animation, and game development; as well as events in Chicago, personal anecdotes, and some periodic bragging about Flashpoint, our faculty, our students, and our soon-to-be-alumni.

Thanks for stopping, and until we meet again, have a beautiful spring!