The question about choosing between a single focus and multiple hit very close to home as someone self-managing their entire education. I think the answer both Stan and Marshall settled on-- that what works best is a case-by-case thing and is reliant on one assessing what they wish to work on-- very much hits the nail on the head, but is in the same breath something many people in my position don't come naturally to as far as I've noticed. There is so much to learn from the beginner's perspective, and time and time again I see those technical constraints freezing folks out from ever just jumping in to their studies. Time weighs incredibly heavy early on, and even if you're passionate about progressing, it can be a struggle to figure out how best to divide and devote it in order to achieve the mastery you see in works around you. For me, it's caused massive burnout. What I've come to discover is that it takes making the conscious decision to just... start... in order to begin reaching those heights. The type of work you want to create will influence what may be most enriching to start studying-- if you're wanting to be or presently are a character designer, anatomy and form are probably things you'll get a ton of mileage from-- but there isn't a wrong place to begin or a wrong amount of subjects to study, so long as you're not bogging yourself down with so much information it doesn't stick. All the topics you narrow down as goals and study-points will all generally get you where you want to go; it really takes just starting and fine-tuning to your personal wants/needs/interests as you go along.

I’d never considered going to a convention for art before, but you two made a good case for it. Couldn’t find a Lightbox here, but there is a Tokyo Comic Con, and that might be fun once it’s safe again. @Marshall Vandruff , what are your secrets for making new friends so easily at a convention 😲??? (Remind me sometime to tell you about how I met Gary Schocker - total accident with angels on my shoulders.)