As we come to deciding our classes for next year, we are choosing classes that seem interesting and fun in order to balance out the difficult classes. Many 8th graders have filled out in their course selection and on the sheet, they are required to take an art. Being required to take an art makes kids usually go to Art 1 here at Carlsbad because art is not for everyone. But if you think about it, art has many advantages that no one ever realizes.

Going into an art class can be very boring for some, but for others, it gives them a way to express themselves and their creativity. Taking art can help you further express your skills and creativity that you can’t do in other academic classes. As the Washington Post discusses, being able to think on your feet, approach tasks from different perspectives and think ‘outside of the box’ will distinguish your child from others. If we can branch out and use our creativity in other classes, we will further our learning skills and approach problems in different ways. In future careers, the skills we learn in art will come naturally.

In theatre, being able to stand up on a stage in front of your school and perform builds confidence in students. Having confidence can give students the ability to step out of their comfort zones and express themselves in ways they didn’t know they could. Many students are terrified to present a project in front of their class, but with theatre, you can learn skills and confidence to help make you feel comfortable being in front of a large crowd. Being able to be your best self in front of a crowd can help improve your social skills and your fear of presenting and being alone in the middle of a stage.

Being stuck in a classroom and being restricted to learning one way can drain kids and make them bored easily. Taking an art class can further important learning skills and expand your ability to learn visually and solve problems. Sculpting, painting, and drawing help develop visual-spatial skills. Learning Liftoff explains that “Dr. Kerry Freedman, Head of Art and Design Education at Northern Illinois University says, Children need to know more about the world than just what they can learn through text and numbers.”  This also applies to problem solving. In art class, artists are taught through the solving of problems. Asking ourselves, what can I make with these?, what can I turn this clay into?, How do I  express this character to the best of my ability?. With asking these questions we are problem solving to make the art our best, and this spreads not only on stage or in an art class, but to our classrooms.

Art is important in many ways, and its benefits are often overlooked. Taking a form of an art class can expand many skills that we need in future careers and outside an art class. All skills learned in art promote better learning in academics and life.