Ariana Stanchfield

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

I did not know what path I wanted to take for the longest time. I kept bouncing back and forth between my options, not really set on any of them. However, in my last year of high school, my father approached me when I was most uncertain with where I wanted to go in life. He told me, "Do what makes you happy, give it a shot. You are young, now is the time to try to achieve it. If it doesn't work out, that's fine. You always have us to help you out. I will support you no matter what. So do what makes you happy, so you don't regret not trying later on." In that moment, despite giving up on it many years before, I sputtered out that I wanted to pursue art. I hadn't touched the medium in years, but for some reason it resonated with me. My dad reminded me that I wanted to create art, stories, much like the ones that inspired me when I was younger.

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

"It doesn't need to be perfect, just get it done on time." As an artist, especially a comic artist, this piece of advice is one of the most important ones you will ever hear. It was one I heard constantly by all my lovely professors at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. It does not matter if you can create the best work you have ever made, if it takes several months (or even years) after the deadline for it to be completed. Many clients prefer it to be done on time rather than it being completely "perfected." This piece of advice is really good for anyone who, like me, struggles with perfectionism. Just get it done, and if you have time, you can go back and tweak it to your liking.