Peoples’ brains work differently. Some people excel at equations and proofs, some dominate experiments in labs and others have talents that lie elsewhere. Artists are a different breed altogether; they have something unique and exciting to offer the world, but they are often diminished because of their “useless” degrees or patronized for their alternative “hobbies.” Artists are not lazy, nor are they lesser beings; they just have a different skillset that has gotten a bad rep over the years.
I was always shy and timid growing up and the arts allowed me to express myself early in life. At a young age, I took voice lessons and piano lessons and was ushered from theatre classes to choir rehearsals. Theatre is my main passion; I was in my first play when I was six years old and I have not looked back since. I performed in community theatre in middle and high school, attended an arts high school for technical and performance theatre and now I am getting a degree in theatre. Theatre allowed me to gain the confidence I might not have otherwise developed. I found my voice among borrowed costumes and Shakespeare verses. Offstage I am still relatively reserved, but onstage I thrive.
As a senior in high school, I was sure I did not want to major in theatre in college. I suddenly had the notion that I wanted to be a journalist (everyone in my life was very confused by this decision). So I almost immediately declared a major in Communication when I got to college. In my first year, I knew I had made a mistake. I missed theatre more than anything. I felt like I didn’t have a place on campus because I was forcing myself to keep a safe distance from the theatre. Obviously, this distancing did not work. I auditioned for and got cast in my first college show when I was a sophomore. I eventually changed my major to theatre as a junior. Even now as I am trying to cram in the rest of my major classes as a senior, I am so full of love for theatre and am so much happier than I was when I first got into college.
Even though the people closest to me understand how much theatre has helped me, most people I talk to turn up their nose and raise their eyebrows a bit when I tell them I’m a theatre major. I usually get the old “What are you going to do with that?” question with a bit of a laugh at the end (seemingly just to get under my skin). Even people my own age assume theatre is an easy major. No, I am not studying biology or hoping to (one day) cure a disease, but I am studying the art of making other people feel something. Theatre brings out emotion in audiences in an otherwise desensitized world.
Having big dreams in a difficult career path is often looked down upon. When we’re young, we’re encouraged to dream. When we get older, we’re encouraged to think logically and in terms of how much money we will make. But who says I can’t have a career in theatre? Obviously, thanks to the current job market, it won’t be easy, but there is nothing wrong with dreaming.
An artist is a dreamer by default. It is the way our brains work. We literally create something out of nothing daily. Many artists, like myself, major in their art concentration because there is nothing else in the entire world they would rather be doing than creating. There is no other career path that would satisfy us more than the arts. We all understand (especially actors) that we will probably have to wait tables or make people coffee when we first set out in the big city. But we also know that art gives us life. After a long day of classes, there is nothing I love more than going to a four-hour rehearsal or practicing a monologue. If we cared only about money, we wouldn’t be in the arts. And if an artist only wants fame, they are doing it for the wrong reason.
Art is not for the weak-spirited, either. It’s difficult. It requires discipline, persistence, and passion. It takes a great amount of respect and love to be able to hone your skills for years without even so much as a pat on the back. Art doesn’t give you instant results. You may get personal gratification for the work you have performed, but it may not get recognized by others until later down the road.
At the end of the day, I don’t do theatre because I want praise. I do theatre because it builds me up and performing fills me with joy. I do theatre because I can’t picture my life without it. I would rather end a long day of classes and homework with Shakespeare than with Netflix.
