DR. WALLACE: I'm a senior and have sadly only been asked out on a couple of dates the entire time I've been in high school. None of them resulted in ongoing relationships, so I've just suffered through a relatively weak social life thus far.

I've thought about trying to be more outgoing, more sociable and to join clubs and so forth, but none of that ever seemed to motivate me or get me excited enough to push forward and actually do it.

I'm now kind of resigned to looking to rekindle my social life when I head off to college next fall. I figure I'll be older and more mature each year and maybe I'll grow into a social presence that's beyond what I'm doing now. I'm absolutely looking forward to the fresh start of going to college next year.

What can I do once I'm a college student regarding my social life so that I don't repeat the steps of my high school dating career? — My Dates Have Been Few and Far Between, via email

MY DATES HAVE BEEN FEW AND FAR BETWEEN: Although at times it seems every person inevitably suffers through the difficulty of navigating the dating world, my stance is that there's no reason to remain stuck in a rut, even when the results thus far haven't been to your satisfaction.

Resist the urge to give yourself an out by thinking your dating career has simply been the product of bad luck, as in reality, you may be being held back by unfortunate habits of doing things the same way year after year. Start by using the last few months of your high school career to engage a few people in conversations and those you find interesting, actually ask them out to lunch, for a cup of coffee to a music event or whatever. You may or may not have a lot of success in landing new dates, but just by taking the steps of intentionally talking to people you find interesting and asking them out will subconsciously start to change the paradigm of how your mind works when it comes to dating.

You may feel uncomfortable at first, but stick with it and constantly course correct and improve your conversational skills, your ability to smile and relax when talking to others and so forth. At the very least, you'll have some great experience under your belt when you head into the summer and eventually off to college. And in a best-case scenario, you might actually land yourself a couple of interesting dates before you graduate from high school. Use the fact that you'll all be out of high school soon to build you up mentally to feel that you have little to lose by asking a few people out.

I HAVE NON-TRADITIONAL ART DREAMS

DR. WALLACE: I'm a high school senior and I've always been fascinated with the arts. I enjoy appreciating paintings, sculptures and attending plays and performances. The interesting thing about this is that I don't specifically have any artistic talent myself. I've dabbled with trying to paint a bit here and there, but it's not something I've been able to develop too well at all.

However, I love going to museums and I have a huge appreciation for art. I've studied it historically and have a wide knowledge of famous paintings, artists, museums and human history regarding art. You could say I'm more of an art fan than an actual "player" in the industry. Think of it perhaps as someone who likes watching college or NFL football games, but is not a football player. Big fans know all about the teams, the players, the statistics, the schedule, matchups and what it takes to make the playoffs. That's how I think about art.

My problem is, every time I bring up the subject of being highly interested in art, everyone assumes I'm an artist and they all want to see my work. Of course, I don't want to get into that topic, so I always defer and say that I'm interested in the field, but simply working on a few ideas at present.

Is there hope for me to work in the field of art without being an artist? I would love to be a curator of a museum or art gallery someday. I could also see myself representing or managing a group of young up-and-coming artists who are trying to break through with their creative talents. Is my dream actually possible, or am I just kidding myself? I am planning to go to college, but I don't feel that I'm set up to be an art major. — My Art Dreams are Nontraditional, via email

MY ART DREAMS ARE NONTRADITIONAL: You are absolutely not kidding yourself! You are a true fan and an aficionado of the history of art, and you've absorbed art-related information like a sponge for several years.

This puts you in a perfect position to be someone who could indeed work in the art industry someday if that's your dream and goal. Immediately seek to speak to as many people as you possibly can, the teachers, college professors, artists, people who work in museums and those who work in art galleries.

See if you can find a mentor and hopefully an internship at some point. I also advise you to take some business classes regarding marketing, publicity, networking and things of that nature, as general business principles apply to almost every industry, including the art world. I encourage you to embrace your dreams and seek to find a rewarding career in a field you so deeply enjoy.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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