From the point that we can hold a pencil, as adolescents we are taught to scribble and imagine a world of color and fun. With every page used that resembles what only looks like a blob monster, but is obviously a self-portrait of the 2-year-old artist, we praise and encourage the creativity. Children possess a passion for the things they create because they see something beautiful.

When I was younger, I used to scribble absolutely nothing on sticky notes and spread them all throughout the house on every wall I could find. Were they all masterpieces? No. But my family treated them like they were the coolest drawings they had ever seen. I grew up with that excitement for creativity and felt like what I made was worth creating because of that support. Flashforward to present day, and I just graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation; with that same passion for art and that each creation is worth making because I love what I do.

Being an artist of whatever form can be the most rewarding job in the world, but it does not come easy. Like anything else, you have to work hard and love what you do in order to succeed. However, due to society today and the idea that the whole world is centered around pieces of green paper, the arts are not supported because having a dream to become an animator, painter, or actor isn’t “practical’.

Schools across the nation are slowly cutting these creative outlets to nothing because they aren’t supported, but why? Taking an acting or drawing class should be a required course, just the same as history, science, or math. In this day and age, there is so much stress put onto kids not only by demanding classes in school, but also by their peers and social media. Throughout a youth’s life, they are constantly asked “what are you going to be when you grow up?”, waiting for an answer such as a doctor or lawyer. Parents want the best for their children, which means getting whatever job will pay the bills and let their offspring live the best life possible, but does money really rank at the same level as happiness?

Before I decided to study animation, I thought “what can make me the most money when I grow up?” This mentality forces individuals to dive into something they don’t truly have a passion for, and can later lead on to an unfulfilled life.

Due to all the stress that youth take on in today’s age, the arts act as a fun distraction that allows you to escape to another world. Allowing kids to be creative also forces them to use another side of their brain, and think differently, assisting in problem solving, as well as imagination. Whether its performing in a play or painting a canvas, the arts are special and reward those who truly appreciate the products created. This is something that money could never buy.

There is only one question that some of us need to be asking ourselves: when did we stop supporting a child’s dream to be creative once they’re grown up?