Is Art a Real Job? by Brianna

Is Art a Real Job? by Brianna - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

When I was six, I wanted to be an artist. That was my original "dream job" and I was convinced that my future was certain. Things changed, of course. A few years after that I decided that I might want to be a veterinarian because I loved animals. I would pretend to have a list of clients and type on the computer in my "office", I liked the idea of working in a office setting because that is what most of the adults in my life did. At that age all I knew was that my dad was a police officer and my mom worked in a cubicle. After attending Bring Your Child to Work Day, I got to see what my mom actually did: she was a victim advocate. After I experienced a mock crime scene and trial, I thought it was the coolest thing in the world and I then decided I wanted to be a detective. I was not sure what a detective did, I only knew what I saw on television. After that I just gave up trying to figure what I wanted to be when I was an adult.

I believe for a while I wanted to be an author and then I wanted to own my own restaurant. I had big dreams, I thought that I was going to be able to do it all if I wanted! Once I got to high school, I took a course called "Financial Literacy and Career Exploration". The career exploration was the best part. That was where I discovered the college I am now planning to attend, School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. High school is the place you truly discover what you want to do with your life and I knew right away that I wanted to attend this college.

But as my freshman and sophomore year went by, once again I was lost trying to figure out a career path. Everyone started asking what I wanted to do and I said I wanted to be an artist. Some people looked worried and confused. Others told me that I was going to have a hard time making money because art was not a real job. A couple people literally laughed in my face. I started to wonder if what I wanted to do with my life was a "real job" or not. Were they right? Was I going to become nothing like they said I was? I decided I should look at other option instead of just settling on what I have been wanting to do since I was six.

I realized I also have a love for foreign language and I would love to be able to speak as many languages as I can and travel the world one day. My French teacher suggested that I go to France to take a course in becoming a French teacher in the U.S. At first, I thought it was a great idea. I figured there was nothing else I could do so why not just do this? I thought I had finally decided on what I wanted to do, even though my heart was not truly set on it.

When it came time to pick a college I looked mostly at art schools. It was now finally time to pick a career path and I knew that I would be foolish if I listened to what everyone had told me and picked something I was not passionate about. Art is incredibly important to me and it has been my greatest source of joy since I was a child. When you love something that much it never leaves you. I knew that if I decided to become a French teacher, even though I love foreign language, I would be making a mistake. I would not be able to live with myself if I let other dictate my future. Art is what I truly wanted to do. And so with the help of my amazing art teacher, I put together a portfolio and applied to my dream school, School of Visual Arts. I was accepted in February of 2017 and I am moving to Manhattan this summer to attend in the fall. I realized my true potential and went with my gut. As cliche as it may sound, the most important thing is that you follow your heart. Sometimes what we believe we can do at six years old is the purest version of our true selves.