How can I feel more optimistic about my life goals and ambitions?
I work in an art museum as a book editor, and have also worked in my parents’ art gallery (my dad’s a painter). Definitely think about internships, but do not panic about it. Internships will be very helpful, but I want to assure you that your career will not be made or broken by the fact that you’re not doing one this summer. I would also agree that you do not have to feel committed to going to grad school immediately, both from a personal and a financial point of view. My suggestion would be to take a year or two off between college and grad school, move to a good-size art market (doesn’t have to be New York; in fact, the cost of living is a lot easier to manage in a place like Chicago) and look into entry-level work in a museum or gallery. You’ll benefit enormously from getting to know the lay of the land of the gallery/museum world a little bit more before you go into grad school (and from a perspective that no internship will really provide), and may possibly even find a mentor in
