To be clear, or not to be?

I am going to start my own American versus French life column. I swear, the American mentality is to study for a good future career. The French mentality is study what you have a passion for, is the most mentally tasking, and never talk about money. If you tell a French person "Oh I want to study x because there are good job opportunities in that field". eeeeerrrrr! Wrong answer. You tell them you are a fine arts student however, and they flip with praise, ask to see your work (at least 70% of the people I've met here).
You tell an American person, "Oh I want to study art because I love it"....and I've been looked at like I'm crazy, and immediately asked what I intend to do in the future, and how I intend to make a living.

Fortunately I am in the middle of these. I want to study visual communications because I love art, and because I can see potential career in it. After all isn't the dream to get paid doing what you love? (at least where I come from :D)

But to learn the right things to say at the right time, and what will not offend the ears of the hearer is a massive challenge. With my multi-cultural background, I realise more and more that I am a citizen of the world, and I have to learn to balance the varied cultures and mentalities I have floating around in me head. Basically, learn to say the truth in the RIGHT PRESENTATION to everyone, so that they can understand me. Sucess or failure depends on who you are trying to succeed with, and the right thing to say depends on who is listening.

Another example of my current dilema:
My teacher today really liked my mis en page (layout) of my application CV.

(first draft)

But one of his critiques was, you need to put something over that picture on the side, its too direct, its too clear and draws attention to itself. You see like the painting on the bottom, it is a "challenge intellectuel" to see what the picture underneath is.
The critics I am used to hearing have been "Its not clear enough" or "Can you move it to the front so we can see what it is?" After years of learning to tell it like it is, and show it as it is...subtlety for the sake of subtlety is...a new thing.

What I take away from this is the French don't want things to be clear, they want them to be complicated. Whatever happened to simplicity in design? I guess that was an American idea.