Art

     The definition of art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. How did something that's so deeply tied to the human experience become something that kids are told it's "unrealistic" to do for a living? So many artists can relate to the story of coming home from their first art class, smiling ear to ear, excited to tell their parents about their new discovery. “When I grow up, I want to become an artist”. Just to see their parent’s faces turn cold and for them to say something along the lines of “Being an artist isn’t realistic sweetie”. 

     As young as 5 years old, thousands of children's dreams are crushed by the concept of “reality” and other people convincing them that the future they see for themselves is nothing more than a fantasy. At that young age, we already start shaping our futures and goals around how we can make money rather than how we can be fulfilled. I was one of these kids. I went from wanting to be an artist to thinking that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. For some of you, you thought that you wanted to be a nurse, lawyer, or engineer. There’s nothing wrong with these careers, but I believe in passion. 

     Passion is described as a strong and uncontrollable emotion. Society thinks that emotions and business should be separated. You don’t need to be passionate about what you do, it just needs to pay well. Look, I don’t want to run a business or work a job that doesn’t fulfill me emotionally or that I’m not passionate about. I, like many other kids who’ve now become adults, reject the idea, that I must choose my career based on how much money I can make while I flush my real dreams down the toilet. I am an artist and I live to create. If I end up poor, oh well, I don’t worry about that because one thing I’ll always be while making art, is happy.