thank you!

i actually go to a local community college, embarrassingly! it took a long time to convince myself to take this route. you are really talented and i can tell you could have a great art career ahead of you, so this may not necessarily be the choice you'd for your life, but i've been in your shoes before and it was really really difficult knowing what to choose for myself, so maybe giving you a perspective from a "normal art student" will help in whatever steps you choose for yourself:

i can't afford to pay for school and i didn't want to be in massive debt. art schools in particular tend to be very expensive, and even with scholarships i know i would owe something big and i didn't want that for myself. i also was unsure if art was even the career i truly wanted for myself so i didn't want to get myself into something i'd regret later. i chose to go to community college because i'm actually profiting on financial aid, i can get my basic classes done for MUCH cheaper and once i have an associates in two years i'll be secure enough to know what i want to pursue and what school i want to go to from there.

but! that is what has worked out for my life, and if you have the money and/or dedication, i'm sure you could get yourself into whatever you wanted to do. be sure to check out the art programs that your local universities offer, because sometimes they end up being just as great as an art institute, without all the debt. there are lots of great art schools all over the country as well, like LCAD, Savannah and Pratt. be sure to go online and read reviews by the students; they have lots of things to say about them.

sorry for the super long reply (i'm sure you weren't expecting this), but i've been in your shoes and every bit of info i could get from other artists greatly influenced my own choices, and i'd like to give other artists the same chance. if you love art and can deal with it's pros and cons, follow your dream and go for it!

oh thanks!