Don’t Put Yourself In A Box

One of the biggest lessons that I have learned as an artist actually has nothing to do with art, though it relates. Rather this advice is not just for artists, but anyone and everyone who is willing to listen. 

Two summers ago I had the opportunity to attend the Missouri Fine Arts Academy, or MOFA as I will refer to it. MOFA is a celebration and collaboration of some of the best high school artists, thespians, singers, musicians, dancers, and writers in the state of Missouri that spend two weeks studying their respective disciplines at Missouri State University for two weeks. I attended for the visual art discipline, but while I was there I took what is called an interdisciplinary class, or a combination of two or more art disciplines.

I ended up in a Visual Art/Theatre interdisciplinary class. At first I was confused why I had to take the class – I hadn’t done anything remotely related to the theatre in years. I wanted to draw and paint, not act. 

As the class went on I started to realize that visual art and theatre were more interconnected than I initially thought. I’d always liked the theatre, and though I’d retired from acting a long time ago, a new appreciation for the theatre arose in me. I saw that as a visual artist my skills and talents were needed in order for thespians to do their job. The thespians needed someone like me to design sets, scenery, costumes, props, and so on and so forth, just like I needed the thespians to play the characters and help transport me into another place and time to tell a story. I realized that I didn’t have to be just one thing, I could like both theatre and visual art. 

I started to realize while I was there that I didn’t have to put myself in a box. I could like art, but I could also like music, writing, theatre, dancing, and singing. Art is connected, and stifling my other passions was hurting me more than helping me. 

I think that this lesson is valuable for everyone – regardless of whether you like art or not. You don’t have to pin yourself to one thing, you can have more than one interest and identify as more than one thing. I for one, also love robotics and STEM. I like to think of myself as a visual artist, thoughtful writer, music appreciator, STEM enthusiast, car loving girl who has more than one interest, passion, and hobby in my life. And that’s perfectly normal!

So whoever you are, just remember you can be more than one thing – and they can be polar opposites. If you like chemistry but also love soccer, that’s awesome! If you love singing but want to be a marketing manager, that’s cool too! The point is to never feel pressured to be one thing and one thing only. Having multiple dreams and passions makes you interesting, and an even better person and artist of any kind.