Know the Rules to break them?...or not

For generations artists have been learning the proper ways to execute their artwork. From brush strokes, to their lack of finger smudges, artists have been taught “rules” in order to make them skilled in their profession. However as society has changed and the ability to express oneself has become more prevalent, artists struggle. There is a tug of war that now occurs between trying to be a classic aesthetically pleasing artist and being an artist that catches ons eye by being outspoken and essentially risky. This is where the game begins. Being in the school of Art and Design, I am constantly hearing “You need to know the rules to break the rules.” However doing this is more difficult than it seems. Students are trying to be risky, trying to not draw as “beautiful”, yet as a result teachers scold our attempts. One would think if they were trying to teach us and help us in the future they would want us to step out of the box, and although they say they do, they don’t. Students are put in the constant struggle of making art for the teacher, for that particular assignment or deciding to take the risk and make art that means something. It becomes a game, and a hard one. We need to trust our own judgement to do the right thing, knowing that more times than others, we are going to be shut down. However, that one in a million chance we happen to get it right, we are excessively praised. It raises the question, if we already know the rules, why can't we break them?