That's perfectly fine. Thank you.

Hey! Thanks for stopping by, I love talking to AP kids! James, is it? Is Weidmer still there?

The biggest thing I can say is to make sure you practice hard. I know it might sound silly, but seriously. You're not going to get better unless you draw, and if you keep at it you'll be amazed at the progress you make. I mark AP Art as the turning point when I really started to get good at art, and that's just because I was really faithful about doing my concentrations and putting my best effort into them. Even if you're discouraged when you start out, just keep at it. You'll get where you want to be eventually. Also, be receptive to new techniques and experiment all the time. Even though it's scary and it doesn't always work out, you don't make breakthroughs unless you leave your comfort zone.

Choose your concentration early and try to stick with it. Your portfolio will be stronger for it, and it will save you a lot of stress at the end of the year when you're putting it all together.

Make a lot of friends in your class. I don't know how big it is these days because when I was there we had about 15 people, and last year I think there were about 25 (maybe?). But your classmates are the best creative resource you could possibly have. They'll inspire you, give you valuable feedback, and throw you ideas you never would have thought of. Seriously! Number one thing I miss about that class is the creative energy we had going all the time!

Again, thanks for stopping by, and feel free to chat any time. I would love to hear how it goes for you, and if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.