Also an art school survivor, and I strongly agree with what you wrote. Moreover I think it applies to everything, including writing code and writing music: Theo

Also an art school survivor, and I strongly agree with what you wrote. Moreover I think it applies to everything, including writing code and writing music: Theory is much more important than technical skill. Technical skill follows from practicing and trying to execute theories as you understand them, even if you're practicing them badly at first. Understanding how to work with space two-dimensionally can't be done by grid copying; understanding how spices interact can't be done by following recipes. You have to start with a concept, taste the product, and adjust through trial and error until you understand the relationships. It's not just unlearning symbolic representation (learning to see light and color rather than outlines of shapes, for instance). That can be unlearned quickly. It's learning how the eye actually perceives light and color in theory and then testing and re-testing your assumptions.