At Choate, everyone comes from a different background racially, religiously, socially, culturally, and economically. Sometimes, within our community, it can be tough to relate to other people because of these ingrained boundaries. However, Choate is failing to acknowledge one of the most important and outstanding connectors that we have between students: the universal language of the Arts.
When the major focus at Choate is centered around academics and athletics, many fail to notice the dedication and constant hard work artistic members of the Choate community are putting in. The Arts are seen as something just done in a person’s spare time and not as the focus of a person’s life. These artistic people are certainly not the minority at our school, so why are the creative talents of such individuals being discredited and underappreciated in our community?
Everyone seems to acknowledge that the Arts are an esteemed means of expression, an avenue to share stories across cultures and move people via the power of entertainment. We admire our artistic icons, whether they be actors, literary authors, or painters, but we also limit the opportunities for people seeking careers in the Arts at Choate and in broader society.
Those involved in sports at Choate don’t receive any kind of judgment for their willingness to put off school work to dedicate their time to their sport, but those who are seen spending hours writing or singing or practicing their instrument may be told to do something “more productive” with their time. This double standard contributes to the idea that Arts are solely a hobby for people and do not a qualify as a “real” profession in the future. Creativity is an inimitable aptitude that cannot be so easily taught in a textbook or in a one term class. It is galling how our society glorifies our child intellects and aspiring football players yet the value of a student possessing a gift for writing, music, or dance pales in comparison. There seems to be a major disconnect between how creativity is valued in society and the career advice that is given to us to avoid these fields, when businesses, no matter what area of the workforce, need creativity.
The idea is perpetuated that a person can do anything and still write, draw, sing, or act on the side when that person needs to really become a master of their skill is to dedicate the majority of their time to it. There is no way our cultural icons would have been as successful as they were if they had not given up certain things in order to practice their trade and improve upon their work.
Next time you go to criticize the emphasis a person is putting on their art above their schoolwork, think of any song you’ve recently played, any TV show you’ve been binge watching, or any book that you’ve read, whether in school or for pleasure – all of which have been created by artists who have dedicated their lives to perfecting them. Members of the Choate community could be the patrons of your future artistic enjoyment, so we must start acknowledging them.
