(upbeat music)
-: Hi there.
I'm Michael Johnson.
I am a junior at the University of Nebraska.
I'm from Des Moines, Iowa.
I am a double major with art
with a concentration in graphic design and advertising.
Lincoln is a far more vibrant art scene
than I would have ever given it credit for
and there's a very tight-knit art scene here
and I think that closeness lends a lot of support
to artists.
I know I'm in the right major
because I'm so engaged
and interested in what I'm doing
that I keep trying to get it just right
without getting overly frustrated or bored.
What has been really nice about the graphic design program,
I have not felt pigeonholed at all.
I've been given the opportunities to develop
and integrate my illustration to create physical 3D form.
There is such a focus on
developing your artwork and being creative,
developing and figuring out what you want to do
but then also knowing how to market yourself,
how to get internships.
The teachers have like gone above and beyond
trying to prepare their students
to go out and get jobs in the real world
while still maintaining that they are artists.
As an artist,
I would encourage young people
to follow their passion.
Don't be afraid of not succeeding
because if you're truly passionate,
that's going to be a success in and of itself
and you're gonna find people like you
who are interested in what you're doing
and if you want to declare an art major,
declare an art major
and don't let anything stop you
'cause it was without a doubt,
the best decision I've ever made.