A future in the arts

Enlisting in the military

A f uture in the arts

JESSIcA coNLEY

Escapism comes in different forms, and for some students, art is their escape. As far as society is concerned, art is generally considered just an escape from reality, with little to no possibility as a career.

While that may be the general consensus, art students continue to thrive and pursue their passions in specified settings, like art school.

“We really focused on skill enhancement. We spent hours a day learning color theory, for an entire semester, just to perfect our skills,” said Julia Schulman, an art teacher at Carlmont.

Other students plan to go into fields similar to what they’re passionate about but more applicable to the real world.

Graphic design is a popular field for those who are artistically inclined, as-is architecture and interior design. According to World Wide Learn, an online website dedicated to researching college majors, Theater/ Drama and Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management are the best arts majors with the highest earning potential and employment opportunities.

However, because society continually discredits the arts, students charmed by those specified subjects, such as fine art, feel the need to fall back into a different subject in college. Generally, they believe that either their parents would disapprove of art school or they, themselves, disapprove of it and instead look for careers where graduates are more guaranteed to earn a sustainable income.

This mindset is present with most high school students, and some believe it is harmful to pursue things for monetary success.

“It’s much better to do something you’re passionate about instead of something for money,” said senior Maya Lee.

Others believe that passions should be kept as hobbies and not transformed into careers.

“I’m thinking that I don’t want to go into theater as a major or career because I want to continue to enjoy it. I just hope I still have time to do it,” said Nolan Sheetz, a senior. According to Harvard Business Review, in a study of several hundred employees, those who believed pursuing passion meant following what brings one joy were less likely to be successful in their pursuit of passion and were more likely to quit their job nine months down the line, than those who believed following a passion was focusing on what one cares about. Enthusiasm for a particular interest can dwindle over time. However, passion is less likely to fade if it is what one truly cares about. “I will likely pursue STEM in college because I care about it. It also ensures that my passion for art won’t burn out,” Lee said. According to Leon Festinger, an American social psychologist, in his study of the Cognitive Dissonance Theory, if people are forced to do a certain task, they are less inclined to want to do it, which can explain preventive measures of falling back to STEM that many art students seem to do. This brings back the dilemma that many students face: Should they major in something they’re passionate about or something that’s guaranteed to provide stability in their future. With college applications rolling into the admissions office around this time of year, many students likely had to choose a major or decide to apply as undeclared. Not all students know what they want to major in or pursue as a career, especially students who are passionate about the arts, but with some universities’ policies for switching majors or transferring into a different college they provide, it might be difficult for those who decide to alter their decision. “I hope that I am making the right decision, but I won’t know until I attend college, and then I might want to switch majors or career paths. I don’t know what to expect; there’s so much uncertainty, so hopefully going into STEM will help me, so I’m almost guaranteed a steady job,” Lee said.