Art: Vital for a Proper Education

As I was oil painting a hummingbird in art class, I couldn’t help but look at this girl who I had recently seen in the last block angry and stressed out while taking a test. But at that right moment, she looked perfect in her own world. She had some music on in her earbuds and she was angelically painting a strawberry shortcake. Art is a class most students take for granted. They feel is an insignificant class where they could be learning necessary material instead. These students don’t realize the value of a class that includes more knowledge than any other. Art is necessary for education because it allows students to take a break from stress, allows them to express their creativity and will help them be more successful in the future.

School pressures students to complete tasks varying from easy formative work to complicated summative projects. Problems outside of school are also included (university applications, or personal negative inner thoughts and issues). All this stress evolves to personal dissatisfaction which can cause negative consequences. “Art helped me with my frustration level… .When I failed I discovered new stuff, so It was not a failure, it was more like an experiment,” Sofia Arcila, the High School art teacher, said. As a student that breathes in numbers, I deeply love art. Complex math problems can be exhausting and at some point irritating. Art allows my hands and brain to be focused in a relaxing activity and drift to a meditative state. It is a motivation to start fresh and confront failure with a positive attitude.

With all different kinds of problems going on, art is a space that allows students to express what they are feeling with different techniques. “Self-expression gives you the space to process who you are during a particular time in your life and provides an opportunity for your soul to be heard.” Melissa Carver, an employee at the Chopra Center specialized in metaphysics, said. Art is an aid to clear everything out and allows students to see in which page they are. Creativity will be developed and different techniques can be used to show the same emotion. Different points of view will help us think outside the box in order to find a solution to the problem, which helps us grow as humans.

Some students argue that art is unnecessary and it will not help them in the future. Tomás Calle, a student at TCS, thinks that students are focusing on many materials at the same time. He argues if future engineers, lawyers, etc. focus on this subject, they will be mediocre and surpassed by others. But this is definitely not true. “Art education teaches students how to interpret, criticize, and use visual information, and how to make choices based on it,” Dr. Kerry Freedman, Head of Art and Design Education at Northern Illinois University, said. Art teaches students spot patterns in color, texture, shapes, and they apply this knowledge to all types of subjects. We will start seeing patterns in numbers for math, or in texts for English, which will help us for school or college and university, and also for daily life. Teens use this critical thinking to excel at what they do and make all the right choices. Creativity is open, and the world is seeking for future leaders who constantly innovate and pursues a change for the world.

Art is essential for our lives and for education for the future. Students will not just take life more easy and fun but they will have the chance to make a change for their future. As a student, I encourage others to appreciate this class. It will help them relax, love life, and excel at what they are passionate about, it has worked for me perfectly.

Works Cited

Academics: The Power of an Arts Education. Retrieved January 28, 2019, from

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/creativity-academics-power-of-arts-education-neil-swapp

Arcila, S. (2019, January 25). Personal interview.

Calle, T. (2019, January 26). Personal interview.

Carver, M. (2018, June 25). 8 Healing Benefits of Art. Retrieved January 22, 2019, from

https://chopra.com/articles/8-healing-benefits-of-art

Karruso, L. (n.d.). Why the Arts. Retrieved from https://artsforlifeaward.org/why-the-arts/

Lynch, G. H. (2012, May 25). The Importance of Art in Child Development. Retrieved from

http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/the-importance-of-art-in-child-developm

ent/

Vélez, GI. (2019, January 25). Personal interview.