This statistic makes me sad. I thought by now we would have held more value in the creative side of education.
Last week I did a career talk at my son’s school to discuss working as a designer in fashion. I was completely out of my comfort zone and I spent a ridiculous amount of time prepping to speak for fifteen minutes to a group of ten and eleven year olds, of which 80% actually want to be pro-footballers or You Tubers. I did in the hope that what I was saying resonated with one or two of them and although I was SO nervous, I was also buzzing to do it.
Career talks back when I was at school were not that interesting to me. If I wanted to work as a Police officer or in the dentist it was fine, but a creative industry? nah, that wasn't an option. Telling my parents I wanted to be a fashion designer in the 90’s was like telling them I wanted to be a pop star, completely unattainable and a bit daft to be honest; it almost seemed a bit ridiculous. But luckily I had a Mum that lived for this stuff. She made her own clothes and her obsession for The Clothes Show (remember that?!) rivalled mine. Her own creative side meant that her and my Dad championed mine. She began by finding me a work placement with a local Interior Designer off her own back when all the school was offering was the local bank. So when my friends were shadowing someone in the local Midland Bank I was making a padded mirror frame with a staple-gun and some fabric for a famous cricketers apartment. Not bad for a 13 year old having my first taste of work. She taught me to grab every opportunity that was on offer and to enjoy it, so I did. I've always felt very driven with work and that definitely comes from this period of my life. I had a goal and we went for it.
To nurture and encourage creativity in kids and to put value into the creative arts alongside the more academic subjects is should be embraced through education.
Studying art at school is so much more than just being able to draw. It helps us to process the world around us, how to approach different areas of your life, to the way you solve problems or express yourself to others. But most of all its about having ideas and ideas can bloom into anything you want. The benefits of tapping into your creative side are endless and there are so many fun and interesting creative careers out there and they all begin with studying Art at school.
Image from @bobandrobertasmith
