I appreciated Shik’s transparency while describing his experiences in the arts industry. He shared his opinions honestly and clearly. I learned that the most important qualities for an artist are reliability, consistency, and good communication to build relationships. In 2026, most artists present themselves through social media, which Shik warned can be as damaging as it can be productive. People fixate on the number of likes or views, which don’t have anything to do with the art’s quality. Instead, he advised to focus on who you show your art to. An artist who reaches out to local galleries and venues to show off their art will be much more successful in the long run than someone who gets thousands of likes on Instagram.

Shik talked about struggles and concerns I share, from motivation to the use of AI in the arts. He didn’t shy away from these subjects, which are big issues for current artists. I do not like AI’s prevalence in the arts, as it lacks the soul and effort of man-made art, and companies are now using it in place of artists so that they don’t have to pay a salary. I worry about how difficult it will be to find work and make a name for myself as an artist. I plan to take Shik’s advice to be proactive, keep working at it, and seize any opportunity that I find.

As a creative writing major, I will pay attention to how frequently I can produce a draft so that others know they can depend on me, and be intentional about building my network of fellow writers.

I discovered that I don’t need to be a one-person business nor should my focus be on supporting myself financially with my art. Others can work on logistics such as accounting and contracting and I can make the art I want and focus on what I am good at. I liked that Shik said the quiet part out loud: that being financially supported by your art is rare, and artists should expect to have a day job. He empowered me as an artist to develop a broader skillset so I can function beyond my artistic abilities.

Shik validated my feelings that sometimes pursuing an art is hard, and that doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing. His message to students was to do what we can to the best of our ability right now, and to take advantage of every opportunity that arises.

His advice will stay with me — to be strong enough to go after what I want and resilient enough to outlast my competition. Shik’s confidence that people still value traditional man-made art left me with an optimism I haven’t had in a long while. I will use what I learned from his experience to keep making my own art.