Ryan Esson is a filmmaker and recent Duncan of Jordanstone graduate with a degree in Time Based Art and Digital Film.

Having graduated art school less than 6 months ago, life as an art graduate has not been the most glamorous experience so far. A full year is spent working tirelessly on one project which the previous 3 years of your life have been leading up to. It all ends with a big exhibition and you’re given your final grade for your 4 years of work.

I feel that I needed to take a little bit of time away from studying and even art. So I have moved to Glasgow and taken the first job I could find to support myself. Glasgow is a very raw and creative city with many opportunities, so I feel that it could be the perfect environment for an art graduate.

My final year work “The Void” is still my main artistic focus as I am going to be showing it again at The Royal Art Gallery in Edinburgh on the 5 December, having won The Society of Scottish Artists award. This is a great opportunity and gives me an even larger audience to show my work to. I have also been working on some of the principles and ideas behind The Void and trying to look into them further and create a better experience than before. I have been trying to explore old ideas, but with a new outlook or spin. I have had some time to step back from it all and pick out the points I feel work well and I think that this has been helpful.

In my opinion, the hardest part about having left university would be trying to stay motivated whilst holding down a full time job. Setting yourself goals and searching for opportunities is key to pushing yourself to create. I am thankful for the response that my work has received and this has really driven me again to be more creative with my work.

The Void – Ryan Esson

Comment below or on Twitter using #LifeAfterArtSchool & mentioning @CenSta with your experience after art school.

Stay tuned for updates from art school graduates all this week. In the meantime see a preview of what to expect from the Life After Art School features here.

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Louise Ritchie is a Scottish based visual artist and current Project Artist in Residence at Angus Council.

As well as providing many a visual treat, her blog details some of the projects Louise has been involved in, including: Jueopolis 2009 (collaborative sculpture with members of the Society of Scottish Artists); Project Bleprint (with Ginkgo Projects); & Art Thinking (with Seaview Primary School).

The image above is from her stitchworks series, the one below from perspex & mirror work. These are just a couple of the stunning examples of the art work Louise has showcased on her blog. We recommend you go here to see more