What is Mylly and how do you survive it?

6.3.2025 0 Like 0 kommenttia

New Fine Arts students at Uniarts Helsinki take part in “Mylly” at the beginning of their studies. In this post, student ambassador Snowdrop tells you everything you need to know.

In Finnish, Mylly means mill. It also happens to be the name of the building The Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki (KuvA) is situated in as it was once a mill. It also also happens to be the name of the roughly 11 weeklong intensive autumn semester you, as a first-year student in KuvA, will experience in the school.

Mylly is a fast-paced period where you get introduced to the four study areas (painting, printmaking, time and space, and sculpture) and make art inspired by whatever prerequisites you are given, typically material and thematic constraints. During it, the different study areas attempt to woo you as you will have to choose one of them by the end of Mylly.

Additionally, Mylly might be the first time that you might be talking about your art. As after each study area’s mylly you will in large or small groups talk about your work and perhaps receive feedback or questions from teachers and your fellow students. This is necessary as seminars (a mandatory time in each department when you talk about your work to others) are a key part of the pedagogy in KuvA, and this serves as preparation for them and your professional artistic practice.

Mylly first begins with drawing for two weeks then depending on your year the next order varies but essentially you will go through painting, sculpture, time and space, and printmaking for 2 weeks each.

Each study area has its own unique way of handling the Mylly period. Some might have you visiting museums and galleries while also working on the aforementioned artworks, others might have you go to a talk, and so on.

The Mylly period is mandatory and carries majority of the credits that you will be getting in the autumn semester. Mylly ends with a travel art trip to another European city and a Mylly pop up exhibition where you can choose what works made during Mylly you would like to exhibit to the larger school community.

At the end of Mylly, you will have gotten an introduction to the different study areas offered at KuvA, known a bit more about your classmates and yourself, and you would have chosen your study area.

Mylly can be especially stressful if you just moved to the country and are getting acclimatized to your new surroundings so let’s take a moment to talk about how to survive it.

Have an open mind

During Mylly, you can forget about what you are best at and can take this moment to learn or use new materials that you wouldn’t otherwise use. You can also use this moment to use materials you would otherwise use in new ways. No one is judging you and you are free to experiment and not create finished works. During Mylly, it really is the process that matters more than the outcome. You can shed off your former artistic personas and begin like a baby holding a paintbrush to canvas.

Be kind to yourself

Being kind to yourself involves not shaming yourself just because something didn’t turn out the way you wanted. It also means resting. You need adequate sleep and nutrition to go through Mylly. It also means knowing when you might be too tired or stressed to come to school. You should attend most days, but you can take some days off if certain things coincide with it. Simply notify the teacher in charge and it’ll be all right.

Talking about your art is a learnt skill

If you’ve never talked about your art to a group of people, this part of Mylly might be daunting. You don’t need to say much or anything if you do not want to, but I recommend taking this time to start learning how to do so, as it is a valuable skill. No one is judging you and often people are interested in what you have to say. It is a safe space. You can ask your teachers for advice on talking about your art and can also learn from how your fellow classmates talk about their artworks.

It’s ok to change what study area you think you will choose every other day

As the days of Mylly count down, you might feel the anticipation and stress of the choice of what department to choose. One day you might think painting, another day sculpture, another day… This is all right. You can ask your teachers for advice and remember that you can change your department at any time.

Be ready to learn from your peers

During Mylly, you and your classmates will share the drawing room on the second floor. The room will be broken up into smaller spaces with moveable walls. This room will serve as your shared studio spaces. This means you’re going to be working in the same space as others. So, I suggest that you open yourself to learning from others, not just your teachers. All around you are artists in similar shoes. Be open to the inspiration that comes from simply being in the same space or watching them work or even having a conversation.

Have fun

During Mylly, you have access to wood working, oil paints, printmaking presses, tech, and more. Why not go crazy and create merely for the rush of it! Look at the deadlines as a point after which you get to dabble in another artform. Look at the materials and marvel at the diversity of materials used in making art!

Mylly doesn’t have to be stressful, it can be whatever you make it out to be. It could be the very first step in conquering your bachelor’s program in KuvA!