When I majored in English and French some years ago, I did so out of a love for language and literature, not because I was thinking about a career. Maybe I should have been thinking about a career but I was 17 at the time and had no clearly defined vision of what I wanted to be. Honestly, how many teenagers do? I knew I didn't want to spend my life parked permanently in the suburbs with 3 kids and a station wagon -- what all the women in my neighborhood did back then, with few exceptions.
So, off to college I went, not really certain what road I was going to take. But I enjoyed learning and that was fine. I took liberal arts courses - ecology, French 18h century literature, poetry, 19th century American lit., Shakespeare, creative writing, oceanography, art appreciation, sociology, nature study, math, western civilization etc. After a while, I noticed the way various fields of knowledge intertwined and complemented each other. I made new friends, studied, partied and learned a few hard lessons in love and independence. Time was suspended. One day, while home for Christmas break, an acquaintance of my dad's asked what I was majoring in. "English and French," I told him.
He frowned and said, "You'll never get anywhere with that." He went on to tell me I should be thinking about the future -- about taking classes that would help me get a job. "
Like what?" I asked him. And he told me. Like accounting, business or nursing. "But I'm not interested in those things and I faint at the sight of blood," I said.
"Well, you'll never get anywhere with English." I let it drop. What was the point of arguing with somebody who suffered from tunnel vision? Flash forward 25 years into the future. It's Easter. and we're at my brother in law's house for dinner. Our sons are with us. A friend of my brother in law - a rich guy with a 100 foot yacht and a huge lavish house -- asks my eldest, Derek, what he's majoring in.
"I'm majoring in English and minoring in political science and music," he says.
The guy frowns. "You'll never get anywhere with that," he tells him. I don't remember how Derek responded - or if he even responded at all - but I think he thought the guy was arrogant. What business was it of his, anyway? Lately, Derek has been thinking about pursuing a career in writing. I wonder what he'd say to that?
If all the artists of the world listened to the naysayers, we wouldn't have any writers, painters, dancers, sculptors, musicians, actors etc. Think how boring and sterile our world would be then. Yes, it's tough to make a living in the arts but it can be done, even if it means taking side jobs to keep a roof over your head and the wolf from the door. And just because you elect to go into the arts, it doesn't mean you're taking a vow of poverty -- almost, perhaps, but not necessarily.
Not too long ago, a high school student in my art class asked me if I thought it was a waste of time for him to go into art. Apparently a few guidance counselors and family friends had been advising him to pursue a more "sensible" field. "It might be hard," I told him, "but you have to listen to your heart and make your own decisions about your life. After all, you have to live with yourself a long time." He thanked me and walked away. I wondered, if I'd given him wise advice. I hope so.
4 comments:
Sounds very wise to me.
I have two boys who sound like they want to do Arts type things. One wants to be a movie director and the other wants to be an actor. I find it so hard to keep my opinions quiet. What I really want to say is, those are fine hobbies, but how will you support your families?
I'm trying. I'm really trying. I'm sure they'll change their minds 20 times before they have to decide anything, and I'm trying to stay neutral, but it's sooo hard.
My son is one of those kids who draws like I used to write. He talks about writing a lot--probably because it's "our" thing, but when he gets in the "zone" and puts his pencil to paper the drawings and the comics just pour out. And the picture books.
What I tell him is that he IS an artist and that he will always BE an artist, whether or not he chooses to earn money by it. My goal is to help him, in any way he wants, keep it in his life.
I pushed my own writing away for a number of years, when it became clear to me in my twenties that I wasn't "there" yet--writing well enough to publish. If I'd just kept it up during that time, even with earning money at other things, how much further along might I be now and how much more pleasure/excitement would those years have had.
Someday, someday, it would be so cool to have the publishing "power" to have my son illustrate one of my books!
Yes, I think most kids possess a lot of creativity. When asked, about a third of my students would love to be artists of one kind or another and the drawing books are always popular.
Somewhere along the way, somebody tells them to wake up and get real, that making a living in the arts is a waste of their time. Too bad. Not that everybody has what it takes to be a professional artist, but I think our society is too quick to squelch creativity and to label it useless.
Linda and Becky, it's great that you support your kids' interest in the arts. That would be nice to see a book you wrote, illustrated by your son. There are magazines that accept children's artwork and stories (can't think of them at the moment, of course).
We always had a little Fisher Price table in the kitchen with crayons, watercolors, paper, safety scissors, paper bags etc. (no coloring books). Both of our boys can draw and always got into the art shows.
Man, I do ramble on.
I think, for me, since I am so talentless in the drawing area, I'm in awe of the way pictures pour from my son's and other people's pencils. For me, it's all words, words, words. My son and I have talked about how when he thinks back on a scene he's read, it's always a picture in his mind. I do get a little of that, but lots of times, what actually pops into my brain is a sort-of snapshot of the typed text on the page!
I feel so lucky that, even as tricky and difficult as it has sometimes been to "stay home," it's given me the chance to really dig into and create with my writing. I hope so much that my son always keeps his art and/or his writing with him--maybe it's changing now, but I think there's still so much pushing boys toward that safe, money-making career, that it may be harder for them to keep this part of their lives.
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