I was wandering the internet looking up artists for I project I have to do in art when I stumbled across the blog of Brianne Drouhard, who is a wonderful artist but not what I wanted to share with you. :3

In this blog, I found a 20 minute speech by a guy of the name Sir Ken Robinson, an advocate of changing the education system in favor of creativity. I thought it was pretty fantastic, so I wanted to share it with all of you!

Click!

SPOONS? >:}D

- Do you think creativity is important in education?

- Do you think the arts (Drama, Dancing, Painting, etc.) should become as big of a priority as mathmatics or language?

I do think the arts should be as important as math, etc. People need fun classes in their day that they can really commit to. If you don't like a class, you wont care about it, and wont learn anything, but if it's a class you like, you can learn committment, endurance, stuff like that. I personally like choir, and I am learning that I need to practice and stick with it and all that.

Oh, and creativity is very important.

I think that math, reading, and history are important for a reason; I don't think I could say art is MORE important than those subjects, because they aren't. However, I do think they have an importance that we have a tendency to undermine a lot.

I know our culture and industry relie on math and science and literacy to survive. It's useful. I KNOW that. But it makes me sad that things like art and music and dance are considered so worthless that in some ways, they drop out of our lives completely. At least, for a lot of us they do.

Yes, math, reading, and the sciences take a very integral part in our society, and are necessary to survive, but creativity is what propels our societies into the future. Math and sciences are very stagnant and will not change. This means that no change will take us into the future. Creative subjects such as art, drama, and music open up the other side of the brain and promote ideas and progression into the future. I am going into biochemistry, which is stagnant and not really that creative, but I am extremely active in theater and am planning on an art minor. I think that has really helped me become well rounded.

I love it! I think there should be a balance of both, and the arts and music should not be so rare.

I won't say that maths and science are stagnant, because there are always new things being discovered and worked on... even math, which seems liek a very solid field, is always getting new formulas for things approved.

Even so, I agree. I can't really put a name to it, but something about art... it gives you something special. A feeling, you know. But I guess we don't much stock into something as abstract as 'feelings'. I don't know... I just keep praying for a second renaissance, were art and science flourished and went hand-in-hand.

I totally know what you mean. Another thing that bothers me is the weight that society puts on art. It seems that when you go up to someone and tell them you majored in science or math, they automatically think you are intelligent and successful, but when someone majors in art, you are associated with the starving artist and you are automatically undercredited. I dont know if you have noticed that, but thats the impression I get around here. Its unfortunate...

I've definitely noticed that, considering I plan on majoring in animation. Even better? My big brother is getting a Ph.d in chemistry. Totally no pressure at all. XDDD

Actually, my parents are very supportive, but for a long time I was truly miserable... I believed that the only way I could survive after high school was if I got a 'useful job'. It seriously killed me. But I know that it IS possible to survive in the world of art, if I'm willing to work hard for what I want.

Sure math and science and all that are important so we can live, but who would want ot live in a boring world?

The arts are a very important part of communication for our society. Math, English, Science, and History all play parts in the world, but art gives it all flavour :3

And wow I love her portfolio D: I want to apply to calarts but my art isn't nearly a percent of that T_T

While core classes are needed to get through life and sports can give some motivation to move, it's the problem of where the funds go after these two chunks. Creativity suffers here least that's how it goes a lot of the time in high school. A lot of the funds goes towards sports rather than the core classes and the Arts. Due to this each department has to fend for themselves while sports barely has to lift a finger to get funds. I'm not sure if due to funds I can only get the bloody uniform washed only once a year and the thing costs roughly $700 and you hope to what ever religion you have you don't mess any of it or you be coughing a lot of money to fix it. Some thing with instruments if its the music department, most of the time they can only fix one or three of them due to how much they have to spend that isn't drained by paying the buses to move us to our venues. I took up band in fifth grade to get something other than core classes, it was my escape. Though now marching is about as grueling as football to me if not more complicated. Music is good to make you work on multitasking.

Anyway with that off the chest I can go on with how things work after school. One needs something to break up the core lessons needed for life. That's why I took up drawing as a way to put my efforts somewhere that isn't a serious task. However this brings up a point for college planning. My Mom is okay with the fact I'm going to try for Art Major(graphic design) but she suggests I get at least a few minors if not another major in a core subject. Which I have planned for English or History since those are two areas I'm good at. This to me makes me think my Mom isn't fully supportive of my choice of career.