Drawing the Line between Studies and Art

For many university students, creative passions are often left on the back burner: the sketchbook collects dust during exam season, and poems stay trapped in the notes app. But for Lund University student Agnes Tingström, those passions led to a career. Between full-time studies, deadlines, and an internship abroad, she transformed her love for art into a professional project, a children’s book now published across Sweden.

A family friend reached out from northern Sweden, asking if she’d be interested in illustrating a story about asthma. Agnes agreed, even though she was in the midst of studying for her double degree in Human Rights and Communication. A few months later, she held her first book contract.

— It’s about making every kid feel seen, she said when describing the book.

Simultaneously, she was taking full-time courses, juggling two programmes, and planning an internship abroad.

— I had just started freelancing a little over a year ago and doing small illustration workshops, so when she asked me to make a few test drawings, I thought, “Why not?”

For Agnes, drawing has always been a passion, nurtured during one year of art school and later through the creative platform Cay Collective, where she began selling her work. Turning that passion professional, however, meant approaching creativity through a new perspective.

— Before, art was a way to calm down and be in my own bubble. It was never about the finished product. When I started working professionally, it became more stressful because suddenly, it wasn’t just for me. I had to care about deadlines and results.

That tension between passion and pressure is familiar to many students who freelance or pursue side projects while studying full-time. The challenge, Agnes said, is not just finding time, but knowing when to protect it.

— It’s definitely been stressful at times. There have been many late nights. But I’ve also learned so much about planning and prioritising. As a student, you can always retake an exam, but at work, you have to deliver the first time.

She quickly developed her own rhythm: lectures by day, drawing sessions by night.

— For me, drawing in the evenings was actually relaxing. I think being creative balances academic work really well. I’d even recommend it to other students; creativity can be a great way to unwind.

Now doing an internship at the Swedish Embassy in Budapest, Agnes still hasn’t seen the book in person.

— I’m going home soon, and I can’t wait to walk into a bookstore and see it for real.

Despite the excitement, she admits that creative work alongside university life can heighten self-doubt.

— There were definitely moments where I thought, “Why did they choose me? This looks terrible!” But the author was incredibly supportive. She encouraged me the whole way.

Balancing both worlds, she said, requires patience and kindness toward yourself.

— I try to remember that my academic path is my own journey. My worth isn’t based on grades or achievements. It’s about learning and growing, in both art and studies.

For many students, creative pursuits can feel like a luxury: something to postpone until after graduation. But Agnes sees it differently.

— Being a student actually gives you more control of your time than you’ll have later. It’s theperfect period to experiment and try both worlds at once.

When her internship ends, she plans to continue freelancing, perhaps moving into graphic design or new illustration projects.

— I don’t know exactly what’s next, but I always like to have a project on the side. This experience has made me more confident about reaching out and saying yes to opportunities.

If there’s one thing Agnes hopes other students take from her story, it’s that creative work doesn’t have to wait for graduation. Even between lectures and deadlines, there’s still room for art.