I wonder if I made the right choice.

I am going back to college (community) to try to get my life straightened out after being very depressed. I chose a visual arts major. I was considering being an english major, but my vocabulary is pathetic and recently reading has been making me angry at my own ignorance, either that or I cannot bear it and easily lose my attention.

I like to write stories, and for the most part I do not feel like art is my passion. Graphics design I have a chance at doing, since I enjoy making interesting layouts and designs. But for the most part, while I like drawing and no longer loathe myself, I know that my art is not really professional grade.

To my great misfortune, drawing and writing are the only things I can actually do without giving up and screaming at myself. I would like some of you to check out my deviantart. I have a lot of writing samples there. Tell me if I am doing the right thing, or if I am pretty much screwed.

http://heartrate-monitor.deviantart.com

Any story in particular or all of them? I can look through a few short ones or one longer one, but can't do more just yet or else I'll *never* get my comic done in time ^^; I've got a week to go and still have a page to ink and the rest to tone and word XD I'm soooo gonna have to pull late nighters ^^;

I have to tell you that I completely sympathize with your situation. I had a hard time choosing my major and sticking to it. i chose Animation/Illustration and at first wasn't sure so I tried it out and thought I could always change majors later if I didn't like it. At first it was ok and I eventually got really passionate about it. I was totally into it for about two years and was what I thought to be one of the best students in the class (it took me 6 years to complete the degree program). But then the last two years I realized I had lost my passion for it. I wasn't working hard enough at it and I was quickly becoming one of the worst artists in the class. I started to get really scared because I was realizing that I didn't want to do this for a living and I was fast approaching graduation. I was terrified about having to get a job. It got to the point where I stopped drawing for pleasure and only drew for homework. I'm still like that now. I lost respect for my teachers and realized they were full of crap and I started to think that perhaps I should have chosen a different major. There were so many different things I liked and that I was good at but I wasn't passionate or good enough at ONE thing to really feel like I'd have a successful career.

All throughout those last two years I ended up working on PaperDemon in my spare time; time I should have spent on improving my artwork. And I felt guilty about it but I kept on doing it because it gave me great statisfaction. Then I sort of got in my head that I could do web design instead of illustration or animation for a living. I was seriously contemplating dropping out of my BFA art program and just switching to the easy BA general art program and graduating early. But I started to feel like if I had chosen the Web design path it would be like I was selling out or giving up.

I ended up completing the bfa program (its a miracle i got through it) and found a job doing web design and illustration. It turned out that my unique combination of programming, coding, and free hand illustration is rare and landed me a great paying job that I really like. (PM me if you want to find out where I work. i don't say it in public.)

So keep in mind that whatever you choose as your major it doesn't mean you have to commit to it for the rest of your life. And also keep in mind that a double major is also an option. Also, you don't have to formally study writing to continue to persue it. I didn't take any programming or graphic design or web design classes in college but that's what I'm getting paid to do. Also think about the fact that having multiple skills helps to keep yourself happy and sane and may one day be a benefit. Do whatever you think makes you happy. If one thing alone wont satisfy you, do both things! Or even three things!

This is a hard decision and one that I've struggled a lot with in my own life. I LOVE to write and draw, and started out with a graphic design major... which quickly went sour when my classes were so incredibly boring that I couldn't stand it anymore. I switched schools and became an english major... to which I got my BA in. But what I discovered is that even though writing and drawing are things I love, making money off of them is not my cup of tea.

It's DRAINING to be told what to draw, and what to write. To me, it feels like someone is stealing my creativity and holding it for ransome or something. I hate it.

So here I am, back in school, persuing something else I'm interested in. (i'm in school to be a radiologic technician as I love the medical field) So while medical stuff doesn't give me the same thrill as writing and drawing, it's still enjoyable. This way I can do my OWN personal art and writing projects and still have a job that I enjoy. (not to mention enough money to move out of my parents house. lol)

Hope this helps!

I'd say don't go for an English major, because unless you want to spend your life teaching or editing stuff, it doesn't really do much good.  Most published authors don't have English majors - for a while that was my major, then I kept hearing about how nobody can get a job with their degree, and I decided to switch to something a bit more scientific.  I'm thinking of Computer Science, but alas, I'm also completely confused on what I should do with my future.

Don't worry, it's a common symptom of the age I think, and the whole college process.  Try going to your college's career center, they have special counselors to help with these kinds of things.  I'm going to do the same thing once my semester starts.