I’ve realized that “sustainability” shouldn’t just exist in our work or the industry—it belongs in our personal life philosophy.
Life is not a machine for infinite output; it requires recovery, self-reflection, and regeneration. Sustainability is essentially the capacity to continue through time. The same applies to our future careers.
After graduation, many Fine Art students choose to stay true to their roots as freelance artists. It’s a free path, but the reality is that most depend on family support or part-time jobs in cafes just to keep creating. Right now, with my parents’ support, studying art feels like a joy.
But once I truly enter the real world and face the gap between my income and rent, those pressures will inevitably wear down my passion and persistence. Even stable jobs in curation or galleries often pay very little and offer zero freedom. I worry this kind of drain will eventually kill my desire for self-expression.
My love for Fine Art is undeniable. I excelled in physics and biology in high school, yet I chose art. I was originally preparing for a Master’s in Fine Art, but I’ve watched my peers—who love art as much as I do—leave the field for AI or even Geography.
I began to waver, too. But I didn’t waver because I lost my love for art; I wavered because I treasure my “artistic spirit” too much. I’ve realized that if my profession isn’t self-sustaining, my passion will simply become the fuel that burns me out. I refuse to let my enthusiasm and perception of the world be consumed by a daily struggle for survival.
This is why I am increasingly drawn to studying business for my Master’s. It might sound like the opposite of Fine Art, but to me, business is the vessel for art in the real world. Fine Art taught me how to perceive and express; Business will teach me how to establish rules and exchange value.
I am learning business to master a rational language that can protect my emotional ideals. Only by understanding how the system works can art stop depending on “family support” or “unpaid exploitation.”
To me, true success is when both your physical and spiritual needs are self-sufficient. Only then can artistic creation be truly free. That is what a sustainable life looks like.
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