When I was 7 I wanted to be an artist. And then society got in the way. I was told that Van Gogh didn’t sell a single painting he died (not true, he did sell one). I was told that artists don’t make any money. That I wouldn’t be able to support myself. As the years went by I was never told I wasn’t good enough, just that I wouldn’t succeed.

Fast forward two decades and art became a side income gig for me. Something I enjoyed immensely, that helped me relax, made me feel productive and happy, yet not something I could fully invest my time in – till this year, when I decided “F@4% it, I’m just going to MAKE it work!”

It made me think a lot about how as a child, the school system really sucks the creativity out of you. School teaches you how to be a conformist in society, how to blend in rather than stand out. If your natural inclination is to try new things, come up with new ideas and do stuff in different or unique ways, that’s not what gets you good grades. They want you to memorise, be good at math, science, economics. Art and creative subjects are all but forgotten (or made to seem inferior) as you go through the school system.

I saw a video on today that really summed it up really well. The benefit of the creative arts while in the 9-5 grind.

Check it out below.