Picking the art degree over the “safe” one takes nerve. Make sure you back it with serious work.

Choosing the less predictable route is defensible right up until it becomes an excuse for drifting. The nerve is in the decision; the substance is in what you do afterwards. People who make unconventional paths work are usually the most disciplined ones in the building, because nothing about the structure will do it for them.

If you take that road, set yourself harder standards than the safe option would have imposed. Build a body of work, seek criticism from people who will be honest, and keep track of what you finished. The choice earns its defense through output rather than through conviction.