Comfort to Those Wishful Thinkers in the Arts

By Jesy Odio on March 12, 2012

I am almost positive that the majority of us college students find ourselves at a certain point in our lives where we begin to doubt our major, and even our future goals. Especially those involved in the arts, am I right?

As a double-major in Literature and Film/Digital Media, I often find myself amidst biology majors and engineering college students, and then begin wondering: “Is my college life a joke?” I’m sure many photography, theatre, and even dance majors must also be thinking about whether they should even go to college. A friend of mine wanted to become a writer and decided to take a trip on a bicycle from East Coast to West Coast. He is now working as a farmer in Belgium in the hopes of having enough life experiences to write about them! Stories like these just leave me thinking, should I also drop all my wonderful classes about the English language and exploit myself in the fields?

My professor for Economics in the Arts calmed my worries by saying that the “starving artist” theory is truly a myth. There are several reasons why a degree in the arts is worth it. Unlike medical students, we are able to begin our professions extremely early. While many students are not able to start their careers until they have finished graduate school, we can begin our careers whenever we feel like it. In fact, this very article you are reading might be my first step towards becoming a published writer! In addition, artists, dancers, photographers, and writers are not necessarily forced to work under big companies and industries, which means the chance to work in your pajamas and slippers! Self-employment can actually be very liberating because you don’t have to rely on a boss moving you around all day, or just cross your fingers and wait for a raise.

Dedicating your life to the arts can be frightening, but I can assure you that no other career will provide you with aesthetic and emotional satisfaction like the arts. Don’t let financial or opportunity-risk reasons affect your decision on your major. Choose your career based on what you truly love doing, and study onward!

 

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