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Patrick, Visiting Assistant Professor at Artist: Advize Career Interview
A Visiting Assistant Professor's unconventional career path, fueled by sheer will and a multidisciplinary approach encompassing philosophy, music, and sculpture, offers a compelling narrative for aspiring artists.
The professional's journey highlights the importance of proactive self-creation, securing institutional support for innovative projects, and fostering a balance between creative vision and strong executive functioning skills.
A day in their life varies dramatically, showcasing the rewards and challenges of balancing teaching innovative design classes with individual artistic pursuits, from interactive performances to grant applications.
Success, the interview reveals, stems from embracing a "rhizomatic structure" of diverse engagements, fostering an internal space for creative development, and navigating the friction between unconventional teaching methods and traditional academic expectations.
The professional's career emphasizes the value of a critical perspective, maintaining a personal creative practice, and accepting the uncertainty inherent in a fulfilling, multi-faceted career.
This unique experience underscores the importance of fostering an internal space for creative development and shows the power of embracing unexpected connections and unconventional paths.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Patrick Michael Ballard
Visiting Assistant Professor
Artist
CSU Long Beach (2011)
California Institute of the Arts: MFA in Fine Arts
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Fine Arts, Music
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Education
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Career Path of a Visiting Assistant Professor as an Artist
Patrick's career path involved a multidisciplinary exploration of creative fields, from philosophy and music to sculpture, fueled by a "sheer will and persistence of always doing creative stuff." This proactive approach, along with securing institutional support for projects like a "wig out of my own hair," led to diverse opportunities, including collaborations with prominent artists and ultimately a Visiting Assistant Professor position.
Main Responsibilities Of A Visiting Assistant Professor As An Artist
Patrick's role as a Visiting Assistant Professor involves curriculum revision within a program "fusing...hybrid spaces between games and performance," requiring "a s**t ton of emails" and administrative tasks alongside fostering student creativity. The position also supports Patrick's artistic practice, demanding grant applications and residency pursuits, a "second job" requiring balancing "executive functioning work" with the creative space needed for "daydreaming" and "interesting ways to fail."
A Day in the Life of a Visiting Assistant Professor as an Artist
A visiting assistant professor and artist's daily life varies greatly depending on the teaching load; one particularly intense quarter involved "pulling out [their] hair daily" while teaching almost 300 students and developing a new game design course. However, other quarters allowed for a better balance between teaching innovative, experiential design classes—such as holding "open studio hours" and facilitating immersive projects with "no budget"—and pursuing individual artistic endeavors, including creating interactive performances, preparing for gallery shows, and working on publications.
Most Important Skills for a Visiting Assistant Professor as an Artist
Patrick, a Visiting Assistant Professor, highlights the crucial balance between "creative vision" and "executive functioning skills" in their role, emphasizing the need for "cognitive switching" between creative and organizational modes. This multifaceted approach necessitates a diverse skillset, ranging from technical proficiencies like "Photoshop skills" and "Excel spreadsheet skills" to artistic abilities and rigorous research capabilities.
Favorite Parts of Being a Visiting Assistant Professor and Artist
Patrick, a Visiting Assistant Professor, finds the most rewarding aspect of the role to be "seeing how each student is helping me grow as a guide," and facilitating their growth and inspiration, aligning with a lifelong desire to "shift people's perspective and help them see new possibilities in the world" through art and teaching.
Biggest Challenges Faced By A Visiting Assistant Professor As An Artist
Patrick's biggest challenge as a Visiting Assistant Professor is maintaining work-life balance, finding time for "useless things" and "chilling out," which Patrick considers crucial for artistic creation and overall well-being. This struggle highlights the tension between the demands of an academic career and the need for creative space and self-care.
Favorite Parts Of Working In Multiple Fields As A Visiting Assistant Professor And Artist
Patrick's career is defined by its fascinating diversity, encompassing "radically different materials, problems and people," from gallery shows and nonprofit work to creative direction at an AR/VR firm and curating the Auschwitz Study Foundation's archive of Holocaust survivor Mel Mermelstein's artwork. This variety allows Patrick to apply their creativity to meaningful work across multiple sectors, juggling projects ranging from intense cultural shadow work to futuristic fantasy world-building.
What Type Of Person Thrives In The Creative Industry According To A Visiting Assistant Professor And Artist
To thrive in the industry, a person needs "a really, really clear, critical perspective" to navigate its interconnected dimensions, while simultaneously maintaining a personal creative practice outside of work, as this allows individuals to bring "something they don't already have to the table."
What a Visiting Assistant Professor as an Artist Wishes They Knew Before the Art Industry
Patrick, a Visiting Assistant Professor, learned that feeling unsure—"it's okay to feel like you don't know what you're doing"—is a natural part of the process, emphasizing the importance of self-belief and bringing one's unique perspective to situations, rather than conforming to expectations. This internal confidence, a key psychological component, is crucial for navigating challenges and achieving greater rewards in a career.
Entry-level Positions for Aspiring Visiting Assistant Professors in the Arts
Patrick, a Visiting Assistant Professor, suggests unconventional entry-level approaches for undergraduates interested in the arts, such as "creating your own space" and running a community project to demonstrate initiative and creative vision. While lacking traditional entry-level experience, Patrick's own career trajectory highlights the value of mentorship, proactive engagement, and finding "a more unconventional path."
Significant Career Lesson From A Visiting Assistant Professor As An Artist
Patrick, a Visiting Assistant Professor, identifies "fostering an internal space for creative development" as a significant career lesson, emphasizing daily creation "for no other reason other than for yourself." This practice, while challenging to maintain amidst external pressures, has consistently yielded "the best things" and fostered originality, ultimately proving essential to their artistic voice and career success.
College Experiences That Helped a Visiting Assistant Professor as an Artist Succeed
Patrick's undergraduate success stemmed from a "rhizomatic structure" of diverse engagement—exploring numerous campus communities, collaborating widely, and creating opportunities for others through inventive, DIY projects like "a popup on the street corner." This approach, driven by curiosity and community building, unexpectedly opened numerous career doors, highlighting the importance of embracing unexpected connections over solely focusing on career-essential activities.
How Identity Influences a Visiting Assistant Professor's Career as an Artist
Patrick's cognitive difference creates friction in traditional academic settings, where the expectation is to "spoonfeed information," contrasting with their approach of "corroding the boundaries" and creating "confusion in the boundaries of thought." This difference has led to professional challenges, including rejection from roles due to a mismatch between expectations and their unconventional methods, highlighting the need for institutions to value diverse approaches to learning and teaching.
Advizer Personal Links
https://www.patrickmichaelballard.com/, IG: @patrickmichaelballard, Bandcamp: LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-ballard-6742221bb
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