My journey through the arts taught me a lot about myself, why I am working so hard to fulfill my dream of becoming a writer, and about the encompassing world of the arts and what it means to other people. Even though it will be a struggle, like these other inspiring people in the arts, I must keep my head up and continue to strive for my goal. These hard-working individuals have really shown me how hard I will have to work to make it in this world, but that once I do make it, the rewards are great.
Even though I have been a part of the arts for a few years now, I never really understood how much was incorporated with the arts. I never knew how much the arts was such a big part of the county of Athens, nonetheless Ohio. While working on this blog, I decided to look up statistics for how many people were doing something in the arts, and the numbers shocked me. According to the website ohiocitizensforthearts.org, in Ohio alone, we have almost 18,000 arts-related businesses and they employ about 88,000 people! With all the work that is going on to push how important the arts is to our schools, community, and world, I hope to see those numbers rise in the near future.
Those involved in the arts in Athens have such a passion for what they do, and their joy in presenting that love to other people is quite motivating and amazing. Simply going to the craft fair, I could easily tell how much the people there were proud of their pieces of art, and how much they appreciated when someone stopped to take a look, or buy something. People always ask me why I decided to major in creative writing, some even calling it a "bogus" major, and I always say the same thing, "Why did you decide to major in what you did? Because I love it and can't see myself doing anything else, and enjoying it as much." It is as simple as that, and I know those in the arts understand where I am coming from completely.
The arts have been a major influence on my life for some time now. In middle school I took art classes, mostly because I had to, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although, I am not very good at it, and could definitely not make a living doing it, I enjoy it just for its aesthetic pleasure and relaxation. Music has also been a huge part of my life since elementary school, where I first started picking up the trumpet. I played trumpet til my senior year in high school, and even took some classes here at OU. I love music, and playing music, but still could not see myself doing that for the rest of my life. I have been writing since around middle school, but taking far greater joy in it than anything else. Ever since I started my first book for fun, I have known that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
I can't help but smile as I reflect on all that I have done in just this short amount of time, and that smile just gets wider as I think of all that I plan on doing in the arts in years to come. To be part of a world that so many people are already engaged in, whether working in the business or simply enjoying it for what it has to offer, that will make my whole journey and dedication to my passion worthwhile.
