DrifterandGypsy @ Twitter
It bugs me when people ask kids that want to do something in the arts when they grow up if they want to look into math + sci. careers just to make sure that they aren’t locking themselves into an unsuccessful life. b/c you know they wouldn’t encourage the kid to check out the arts if the kid said they wanted to be a lawyer or doctor.
This is something that really bothers me too. Have any of my readers experienced this before? Had parents/teachers/friends etc. tell them things like this?
My mum certainly wasn’t at all supportive until I found something that I thought I might be able to do and perhaps still make a decent living off – if I was lucky. So off I went to study Multimedia Design and it wasn’t what I wanted to do, but it was a compromise – my mum had wanted me to be a school teacher and my dad wanted me to be an accountant, but, oh well. It was while I was doing this course, that I got my first boyfriend – worst mistake of my life! That being said, everything happens for a reason and I learned a lot from that dreadful experience. While I was studying though, he kept telling me that I wasn’t good enough and I would never make anything of myself, that I was wasting my time and everyone else’s. Eventually I believed him.
It took a while for me to rediscover my love for the various arts that I did love, and to realise that the idiot was wrong. Truthfully I’m still trying to find my feet again, but I will, because I can do this – that’s what this blog has come to be about – my journey, rebuilding my art folio, practicing and experimenting, and also learning about who I am today. There are a few things that I’m certain of, that never changed – but creatively I’ve lost a lot of ground.
Don’t ever try and tell someone their dreams aren’t worth it, don’t try to change their mind. Also, learn from my mistake (a mistake that so many have made), and don’t let others convince you that you aren’t good enough. You’re only as good as you believe you are ♥
Tags: Rant
I am still struggling with these kind of comments from parents and every adult I meet who hears that I am getting my MFA in Creative Writing. I love your wise words and I am loving this blog! Keep it up.