Nicole Fleming is a sophomore Graphic Design student at the Maryland Institute College of Art. In part one of an eventual series, we find out what the quintessential art school experience is, and what, exactly, the hell a graphic designer does at art school.

Interviewer: What is art to you, specifically?

Nicole: Art’s my livelihood. Art is how I work through problems that I can’t put into words. I mean, It sounds cheesy but it’s how I expose my secrets, it’s how I come across my own secrets. For me, I’m not so much trying to expose myself to other people, like “This is who I am!” It's more just me trying to figure it out for myself. \Everything you do as an artist is gonna follow you for the rest of your life. Like everything you make is an artist is an external reflection of your internal self, and I feel like everything as you make it kind of impacts you as a person. When I’m creating I feel so much more fulfilled- so I’m not so much making to release all these emotions, I'm more so making to give myself purpose, and to give those emotions a reason to matter in the first place.

I: What does an art student do?

N: An art school student works their ass off until they have no will to live.” *laughs* Yeah, you work your ass off till you feel like you’ve come to a place where you’re like, this is okay but I can do better, and then you do better.

I: What does a Graphic Design (GD) major do?

N: Oh my gosh, that’s a loaded question. Every time somebody asks me what a GD major does- I mean, we do so many things. You can do anything from making an identity for a company, to creating visual information for people to observe, and to be influenced by, like branding or logos.

I: What made you choose GD as your major?

N: I tend to have a really graphic style, which works well for GD. I really wanted to work in a field where I would have a sense of professionalism and work in a professional environment, but also I like my work to have a broad influence on a lot of different people, and I thought that GD would be the best way to get my work out there.

I: What made you come to art school?

N: I was an art kid in high school- I mean, I wasn’t that art kid in high school, I had friends, I was cool! *laughs* No, but, I don’t know, I would go to art class every day, and I would put my heart and soul into all that work, and I could see my self doing something with business- but that’s not what I care about. I had so many people telling me I should go to university- my mom, my grandma, my aunt- and I had people around me saying, “Oh, I know this person who went to art school, and they’re still working in a restaurant and living with their parents.” I want to change people’s perceptions of things, and I want to make things that matter, and I want to be around like-minded people. It just seemed right. and when I came to visit here (MICA) and I saw all the things I would have at my disposal, and it would be totally focused on making my art, and art wouldn’t just be a side thing. I mean, if I went to a university I’d be taking all these core classes and art would just kind of be- not my focus. But this really felt like committing to it and i wanted to commit to it.

I: What’s your quintessential art school experience?

N: For me, it was going to the Copycat, that rundown apartment building/warehouse off-campus, and walking up eleven flights of those narrow stairs, like some Rapunzel’s tower. And we went into this weird apartment show with a stage set up in the middle of the floor, all kinds of strobes lights, and everyone was high or drunk- but like, that’s quintessential art school. It’s people creating and partying at the same time. Like people being artistic, in their drinking and whatever. Oh! And Halloween. Halloween is amazing here. Everyone’s nuts.

I: Are you happy at art school?

N: I am so happy. I love it. It’s the best decision I ever made.