<p>I feel compelled to post this message tonight with the hope that it will help someone out there that you may not know needs your help and support.</p>
<p>In the past 6 weeks, two young men, one my brothers’ roommate and the other a neighbor and member of a band I coach, have committed suicide. The reality with both of them is that very little could have been done to prevent it since neither really gave off warning signs. But both instances have made me think about other students of mine who do give off warning signs and who may benefit from me reminding them that they are important and that they have something very special to offer this world.</p>
<p>Both of the young men were involved in the arts: one a visual artist, the other a guitarist. Breaking into a career in the arts is without a doubt difficult. In order to help students grow, we as teachers must point out flaws in their work and suggest alternatives. Sometimes, in the rush of life, its easy to forget to point out the positives as well as the negatives, but for the students, its much easier to remember the negatives that have been pointed out and to dwell on them to the point of obsession. This is by no means any educator’s plan, but if we do not point out areas for growth, a students will never progress to the point of being competitive in the market. Artists need a strong support system outside of their instructors. It may be tempting to tell a child or significant other that the critiques they are receiving are wrong and that nothing in their work needs to change, that they are fabulous and they will be famous. However, that approach is another extreme that in the long run could backfire if the student stops working and fails to progress at the rate of their peers.</p>
<p>I do not have all the answers by any means, but in my experience, the artists with the best mental health have known the following:</p>
<p>-They ARE talented</p>
<p>-They HAVE value in this world outside of their artistic endeavors</p>
<p>-There IS a place in this world for all artists, you just have to find it. Sometimes running in one direction without looking all around you can seem to lead to nothing but failure. But if you would just turn around and stop for a minute, success could catch up with you and take you to where you belong.</p>
<p>-The people in their lives let them know that they are loved.</p>
<p>-Their parents support them.</p>
<p>-Their parents do not complain about how much money they’ve spent sending the child to school. They may explain the concepts of money and investments, but they also allow the student room to make a career change because at the end of the day what matters most is if the child leads an enjoyable life.</p>
<p>-The students are not allowed to go into debt to the point of no return and if they are, they are not cut-off when they need help, no matter how old they are.</p>
<p>I felt like I needed to write this because it may make someone reach out in the next few weeks to an artist in need and potentially save a life. Even if it just help cheer someone up and make them look at the bright side of things, it will serve its purpose.</p>
<p>Thank you for reading.</p>
<p>VT</p>