The Co-workers of Tomorrow

These lyrics from a Sondheim song popped into my head when I read this article, Top 10 Skills Children Learn from the Arts
Careful the things you say / Children will listen
Careful the things you do / Children will see and learn.
I parent two children and the current school system feels extremely focused on testing/measurements and the arts feel like an afterthought. Luckily, my kids have a dedicated music teacher who shows up at zero hour and hosts a choir. I have experienced so many people in a working (and volunteer) environment that have learned none of the valuable skills the article speaks of: creativity, confidence, problem solving, perseverance, focus, non-verbal communication, receiving constructive feedback, collaboration, dedication and accountability. I want my children to be great friends, co-workers and citizens. So I will always strive to keep them involved in the arts by encouraging their creative endeavors and signing them up for classes that interested them.

Take it With a Grain of Salt

Of COURSE, I had to click on an article with the provocative title of "The 10 WORST College Majors"!! Oh my gosh! Don't let my kids choose THOSE majors, oh please, God. (I hope you sense my sarcasm there.)

Guess what? A BUSINESS-focused magazine with a tagline of "Information for the world's business leaders" has an article skewed to scare anyone away from a degree in just about every arts field.

It is the job of the Forbes editors to KNOW their audience and play to it just like any musician would! (Couldn't resist an arts reference!! Hee hee!) 

I hate to break it to you, but, the arts have ALWAYS been a risky field. So is business, if you don't have the acumen for it!

The question is: do you have the STAMINA to make money in a field that is more focused on the arts rather than business? And, why can't you do both? Who SAYS you cannot be an artist/writer/actor/ photographer/musician/archeologist/arty-type with a great mind for business, too! Go for what you love. Be the exception to the rule! 

The surest way to failure is to live someone else's dream! If you love the arts, go for it. If you love business, go for it! If you're somewhere in the middle, go for THAT! Live YOUR dream!