Found

I was sitting at dinner with two friends last night and somehow we got on the topic of careers and what would have we done if not what we do currently. Not one of us could confidently say a second path - none of us could say, "we'll this other thing I am good at/find interesting could have been my career".

All three of us have a home in the arts.

One of us had the 'ease' of knowing since he was a little boy that he was going to design cars. And even though halfway through college he branched out to industrial design instead of just transportation - he is currently designing infotainment centers for one of the big three American car companies.

One of us was lost - truly lost. Grades were low, loved sports, had no drive. His mom has told me many times that she was afraid he would end up in jail - he had no motivation to do any schoolwork. Then somehow he landed in an art class, convinced his art teacher to help him make a portfolio, went to one if the top art college, and also does design work for one of the big three.

One of us was also lost, but in a different way. I was lost in the expectations and ideas that I wasn't good at school. Sure, I made most A's and b's - but I spent most of it confused and frustrated - except for geometry, for some reason geometry and I got along really well. I found art in college - in a weaving class. I had taken drawing the semester before and more or less hated it. Weaving though, weaving opened a whole world to me. I realized in that class that my whole life I had been smart - I had been talented. Instead of math and writing - my smarts were in spacial/visual avenues. I always enjoyed and understood "crafts" and "artsy" things - but no one ever said that I could make a life off that. It wasn't till weaving class in college that my path was clear. I called my mom and told her I was going to be an Art teacher. I fought back tears from the relief and peace of knowing where I was going of my vocation.

All three of us sat eating wings and fries chuckling about how we were all saved by art. We are all active members of society through art. My hope and dream for the future is that more adults encourage and foster the arts in kids lives - that we change this idea of arts being"special"and you can't make a life off of it. There are a lot of art based jobs that are in constant demand: graphic designer, fashion design, package design, product design, car, shoe, furniture, websites, advertisements, photography, film, CGI, animation, landscaping, teaching, artist, dancing, singing, composing, stage, screenplays, set dressing, director, and much more. Society needs art, humans need art, companies need artists.