Today's blog entry is going to be especially personal to me. As I am about to leave high school, I am reflecting upon the thoughts I had about my future career, especially in relation to art. Ever since childhood, I have held art very closely to my heart. All I wanted to do was draw; nothing mattered to me more than the box of crayons I carried around every day. So of course, I wanted to become an artist.
In my early high school days, I was dead set on becoming an animator of some sort. I wanted to become a storyboard artist, who plans out the stories that would enthrall people at the theatres. I took as many art classes as I could- digital multi-media, art foundations, painting. I wanted to improve my skills so that I could make my dreams come true. I even looked at art schools in my free time!
However, I did experience more doubt as I progressed through high school. I often heard the notion that STEM-related jobs are much more worthy (don't get me wrong, they definitely are important) than ones that are not in that field. I started wondering if my dreams were worth pursuing. I regretted taking many art classes and wished that I could have taken another math class instead, so that I could be more competitive academically. But, what is life when you can't do what you love?
Now, as I am practically finished with high school, I will admit that I still do feel doubt about pursuing art as a career. In the end, I chose not to major in art at college. I still feel that I could have challenged myself more in my classes. However, I will say with certainty that I no longer feel regretful of taking those art classes in high school, nor do I feel ashamed of wanting to be an artist. I enjoyed my time in those classes, and I did develop my art skills. And, there is nothing shameful about being passionate about a subject. Finally, since I am so young, who knows what will lie in my future? It's not something I can predict. I may or may not end up taking art as a career. If I do end up in art, I will accept that. Well, I may even welcome it!
