Post by m!chelle--✗ on Feb 15, 2010 13:15:38 GMT -5
The Magic of the Arts
Everyone has something they are truly passionate about. We all have at least one thing that we love to do, and for each person it is a little different. Some people get a thrill from saving lives in a hospital, some people are exhilarated by long hikes in treacherous mountains, and some people are happy just being at home working in their garden. For me, that special something is art, and so I have chosen to make a career out of it.
Art is a very broad term. It can be anything from ancient paintings on cave walls to the magic of a ballerina floating across a stage. In my community there are artists of all different varieties, and they have taught me how to recognize when someone is not only talented, but also in love with what they do. That is what makes an artist - the love, the joy, the feeling that goes into their work. That is what makes art magical.
For me, the magic started at a very young age. I have grown up around a mix of performance and fine artists. Musicians, dancers, painters, singers, and sculptors are just a few of the types of artists who fill my world. These people are the creators of the magic that makes our world beautiful, and they also helped to create me, in a way.
One of the main influences to my current art form was my neighbor, a professional ballerina named Allison. When I was three years old, I decided I wanted to dance, and she immediately helped me get signed up for ballet classes at a local studio. I've been dancing for twelve years now, with Allison still encouraging me every step of the way. The process of becoming a dancer is not an easy one, but Allison has become a sort of second mother to me, and she never lets me down.
With the right mix of people, a community of dancers can form into a close, supportive family who will do anything for each other. I have joined several of these "families" over the years, and gained a good number of close friends through dancing. Sharing a common interest with someone is an amazing bridge-builder, and I've met some people who share my passion for dance who I probably would have never related to in other circumstances. This is one of the key reasons I love dance, because of the amazing people I get to know. All of them are unique and have different views, but all you really need to do anything is passion and determination, and that is enough to bring people together.
This is true not only for dancers, but for other artists as well. My father and mother are both musicians, and they met each other through a community of folk musicians and contra dancers. My brother plays music as well, and he has a band with two sisters who are also like siblings to me. Music is also something I'm considering for a career, as it is also a big part of my life, though my main focus is dance at the moment.
Truthfully, I cannot say for sure what I want to do in the future. I'm only fifteen, and while I know what I love to do, I have not yet confirmed what would be the best choice for a career. Perhaps I could combine some of my interests, since I certainly can see myself making up some new form of art that the world has never seen before. All I know for sure is that I want to keep the magic flowing. I want to follow in the footsteps of those who inspire me, because they all have found some way to create something unique and beautiful to show the world.
I know I have the talent, and the passion for the arts, so now all that's left is to add my own ideas and make something new. I love the communities that art builds, and the way it works it's way into our lives. Art is special to me, and I plan to continue it for the rest of my life.