Great advice for any profession, I think.
I had aspirations of becoming a film score composer growing up. Of course, that dream hasn’t materialized (yet). But if you’re on the same path, consider Annie Gosfield’s advice, which may even be applicable to other creative fields:
Make sure you’re always doing some work that is yours and yours alone—not composed for the approval of teachers or colleagues. There’s a chasm between writing in school and writing in the real world. Regardless of what you’re doing in school, you should always write something that’s not subject to grades. You may learn a lot comparing what you write for yourself to write for others. Guidance can be helpful at times, but I have never found authority to inspire creativity.
