A few days ago I had the pleasure of seeing a combined dance recital and production of "Aladdin" performed by the dancers and actors of Heather Wayne’s Performing Arts studio. Toward the beginning, the drama students performed a piece about what the arts have helped them to overcome, and how they have grown because of theatre. At the end, they collectively stated, “performing arts matter,” and it really resonated with me.

The arts are a bit of a “dying art,” if you will. They have been ever since I can remember. Schools don’t want to fund art programs anymore, instead turning to sports and the STEM field. Young adults who dream of one day working in any sort of artistic field are often told to think of something more realistic, something safer—or, at the very least, to have a back-up plan.

As a humanities major, I can attest to how important the arts are to me. Writing and creating provide an important outlet to me. I want to be an author and work in film once I graduate, but I always find myself talking my dreams down to others. When asked what I plan to do post-graduation, I typically reply that I want to find a career in film with a side job as a novelist—"but I’ll probably end up teaching for a while.” Ah, yes. The stereotypical fallback career for an english major. Truthfully, I wouldn’t mind teaching, so long as I can actively pursue my other passions at the same time–I started out as an education major. However, I shouldn’t have to rely on the idea that I’ll be a teacher in order for others to think that I have a chance at a stable future.

I shouldn’t have to feel self-conscious about my choice of major—nobody should. So many theatre and art and music and dance majors are ridiculed for their choices, told that their dreams are not realistic or even worth pursuing. I think that’s one of the biggest shames in the world.

The stigma around art/performing arts/creative majors also seems a little inconsistent, considering that some of the most paid celebrities are famous because of the arts, and have careers in the arts. It’s a paradox—like telling a young adult they can’t get the job because they’re not experienced enough, when they can’t get that experience because they’re “not experienced enough.” It’s only okay to have a job in the arts once you’re famous? I don’t buy it.

You can argue that the arts are neglected because they don’t contribute to society, but you’d be wrong. In western society, at least, we tend to treat creative, right-brained people as though they have nothing of value to offer, when that could not be farther from the truth. What we have to offer is just as important as what left-brained people have to offer, but in different ways.

The arts make people happy–both those performing and those watching. We have one life, and the whole point is to be happy, to make others happy, and to make the most of the time we have. So shouldn’t we put a little more stock into something that does such a good job of fulfilling the lives of so many?

Besides which, the arts do much more than just making people happy. Say what you will, but I will argue that there is no field that is totally untouched by the arts. In medicine you have music and dance therapy; businesses thrive on advertisements that require graphic design and photography and music and animation—the list goes on and on.

Whether you realize it or not, the arts matter to you.