The importance of arts

The importance of arts

It comes as no surprise that in our society, the idea that someone wants to pursue a career that is not medicine or engineering is, for lack of a better word, abhorred. As soon as a kid is born, parents decide what they want their child to be when they grow up, and the options are always one of the two mentioned above. Looking beyond those two careers is not something that is encouraged or appreciated in any facet of our society. Yet, it is the ones who choose to pursue the arts who have proven to be more well-rounded individuals.

Students who choose to pursue arts in their education, as well as careers, find themselves having to fight for it. They have to explain, coax, coerce and convince their parents or guardians to allow them to keep studying their chosen field of study, and those who are successful learn skills that are not taught in any classroom.

The arts also teach people how to listen to their inner voice. The most impactful projects come out of assignments where students are allowed to pick their topics and work on them the way they want to. Personal projects are the staple of a useful arts education; they let people follow their instincts and work through any problems they might have, or explore something they might be interested in. This window opens the road to creative and innovative solutions: students of humanities and social sciences thrive in spaces like corporate offices and banks because they bring a fresh perspective to the situation, one which these spaces are often not aware of. Their ideas are more significant, better, and more inclusive than the ones that are used in those fields.

Studying the arts also sharpens the vital skills of an individual. If you choose to work on a project that you’re committed to, the chances are that you will be honest and practical about whether it’s pleasant, useful, helpful, inclusive, etc. Through trial and error, they learn perseverance and focus. Humanities and social science students have also been known to show a higher level of performance in their academics as compared to their hard science counterparts.

Creatives in Pakistan are not always appreciated, and thus studying the arts is looked down upon as the easier route to take. However, while there should ideally be no comparison between arts and sciences considering both schools are challenging, it would be helpful for the next generation to grow up in a society where choice and interest is preferred over what society deems acceptable.