Knowing when to quit

Not one of my strong points. So I’ve surprised myself by deciding not to return to college to complete my MA.

Oddly, I think that one of the most valuable periods of the MA for me has been the time out. It was during this time of extended reflection that my creativity was able to silently and subconsciously percolate, reflecting on what I’d learnt about myself and my work during my time at college and leading to a somewhat clearer vision of where I want to go next creatively.

That was all I really was asking of the MA in the first place – to help me regain my sense of direction and enthusiasm as a creative.

If I were to return now to complete the MA, my focus would be forced on to gaining the qualification and not on freely exploring new directions; I simply won’t have the time I need to apply myself fully to the practical stuff whilst fulfilling the requirements imposed by the MA itself.

I may well decide to return to it at some point in the future but for the time being at least, the MA has done its job.

So, what’s next… ?