Arty-type graduates 2009, (un)Natural Talent, and just how scared are you?

I had a conversation with my friend today about art in general, and my course, and the talent on it and if you are born with talent or not. That kind of thing. I generally came to the conclusion that throughout my artistic education, I have come across a few people who have been hugley talented. You know, can draw perfectly first time round and are just damn good. But they don't seem to care. They have their little world and don't seem driven to do the work they're set or find about new things or research into things that inspire them, you know all that standard stuff. Well, things I find standard anyway. But then they draw, and it's like, wow. Ok, you bastard, clearly you're born talented and I hate you. You're cool, but I hate you, because I work my ass off, I'm constantly soaking up the world around me, looking into things, sticking stuff on my wall, finding inspiration everywhere, experimenting, trying new things. And I'm nowhere near as good as you. And you just sit there and smoke cool little cigarettes.

It's like, if there was a graph, there would be a relationship between how talented you are as to how little you seem to have to work for it. And I've always thought that unfair.

So it's strange when I come across this post today that kind of reassured me against that thought I've had. That actually, they're not better than me, everyone is different, and stop comparing yourself to someone else, who at the end of the day, isn't exploring their creative life enough. (semi self-help book, there). That, by the way, is a really great blog, and it's pretty to look at too. Go look.

This all stems I think, from the fact that I've nearly finished my course, and I'm freaking out about leaving into the big bad world. I handed in two modules today. Which felt AMAZING. Despite the fact that it was the most complicated hand in process EVER and I got so stressed I felt pressure on my chest. Do you ever get that? Well I had that today. It was weird. Anyway, I finally got it handed in after dodging an assault of: technology going wrong, huge print queues, selfish computer-hogging spanish students, stanley knife cuts, spray mount fumes, photography classes stealing your hand-in room (damn you Henry *shakes fist*) the entire uni network being stoneage slow because everyone wants to print barcodes, and tutors announcing we're losing our studio in 3 days.

But. I. Did. It.
Which is more than I can say for 80% of my class who had got extensions for one reason or another. And I'm bitter about that because I work hard and some (not all) don't deserve an extension, in my humble opinion. Is that harsh? Actually I don't care, it's true.

Previous freak outs that I'm sure many of us feel.

I've just got 1 more module to hand in on thursday then it's DEGREE SHOW TIME BABY.

So my question today is, Where are you, soon-to-be art (and especially illustration and graphic design) graduates?? Are you freaking out? Are you a naturally-talented, cool cigarette smoking bastard? Are you a nervous wreck who feels they have BECOME their shiny white macintosh? When is your degree show? Just how drunk, exactly, are you going to get?

This is the website to watch. There's a lot of us, isn't there.