<p><a href=“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGUIhLQLPZE&feature=youtu.be”>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGUIhLQLPZE&feature=youtu.be</a></p>
<p>We have learned that being an actor takes not only talent and dedication but a thick skin. Have many of you encountered comments like these? We certainly have!</p>
<p>Found these articles a few months ago, but forgot to share them. Great read and fits in the theme of this.
<a href=“http://getacceptd.com/telling-people-youre-studying-arts-awesome-go-answers/”>http://getacceptd.com/telling-people-youre-studying-arts-awesome-go-answers/</a>
<a href=“http://getacceptd.com/little-motivation-art-important/”>http://getacceptd.com/little-motivation-art-important/</a></p>
<p>This is a wonderful encouragement for our kids
<a href=“This One Minute Video of Jim Carrey's Commencement Speech Might Change Your Life [Video]”>This One Minute Video of Jim Carrey's Commencement Speech Might Change Your Life [Video];
<p>@bisouu thanks.</p>
<p>I have goose bumps. Really. I have never heard a more profound statement in my life. “You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance at doing what you love.” I knew that Jim Carrey was beyond funny, I just didn’t know that he was so wise.</p>
<p>I look at our D just starting out on her grand dream and I think “Hell yeah, go for it!” Looking back at all of the twist and turns that have brought me to where I am now at the (young) age of 52, any predictions at the age of 18 would have been pointless. I didn’t even have a dream at that time, so she’s already light years ahead of where I was.</p>
<p>This whole subject takes me back to a conversation that I had with our computer nerd son last fall when we began the college search. It bears repeating.</p>
<p>S: “Going into the arts is a waste of time.”
Me: “What do you think would happen if no one pursued a career in the arts?”
S: “Nothing.”
Me: (turning off the TV) “Exactly.”</p>
<p>That was a good one cheesehead</p>
<p>It never occurred to me to discourage my S. I would sooo rather he look back without regrets. I couldn’t imagine being so talented, dedicated and interested in the theatre and not trying. “What if” is not something I wanted him to think of when he reached my age.</p>
<p>I had wanted to major in Technical Theatre in college. My dad said, “I’m not paying for that. Pick something else.” So I did. I now have a degree I’m not using, and still find myself on the production side of theatre. If I had a degree, I might have a career in it. From the time our kids could talk about “someday I want to be a…”, we knew that whatever they chose to pursue/ showed a passion for, we would be supportive. </p>
<p>My favorite comment from people is, “That’s exciting. He should get some experience waiting tables. He’ll be doing a lot of that after college.” </p>
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<p>I think that’s just the go to joke from people that really can’t comprehend a life in the arts. The reality is, our kids will have a degree. It’s not like they will graduate and walk around like the just fell off the turnip truck. My daughter has been and is being well educated and will have a degree from a well regarded school on her resume. She will be just capable of doing things other than waiting tables, as the next kid who had a degree outside of the arts. (And probably more qualified for waiting tables if it comes down to that because she’s already working in restaurants now.) OK maybe not detailed lab work or something like that but those jobs are notoriously low paying too and becoming harder to come by. My point is, it’s arbitrary to assume the arts educated kid is at a disadvantage. All of these kids are starting out with a somewhat blank piece of paper and all of them will need to build their experience base in whatever it is they are interested in. Someday the people making the waiting tables joke may discover that their kids are working for ours. </p>
<p>Fortunately, the husband and I have not been the recipient of anyone questioning our child’s choice of major…Probably has to do with the fact that we are both SAG/AFTRA card carrying actors ourselves! =)) They know better!</p>
<p>I love this. We’ve heard everything from the “you better get good at waiting tables” to a very earnest “what’s your back up plan” to “you’re too smart for this” to “well that’s a very hard profession.” I have to admit I’ve gotten defensive a few times, but to my D it’s water off a duck, she just shrugs, says yeah it’s hard but I love it, and moves on. I think she 's a lot tougher than I am, thank goodness because she’s the one following this path, but sometimes I want to say “wouldn’t it be great if everyone got out of bed to do something they love doing instead of doing something to pay the bills.” Sorry, one of those days and one of those conversations today, proud of my D for having the courage to follow her dreams.</p>
<p>Apparently I was the last to figure out that my son was destined major in theatre because no one who knows him has questioned his choice of BFA Acting, except to hope he will have an opportunity to continue playing the drums and sing! Explaining there are only so many hours in a day, and that the likelihood that he will be playing drums in a jazz ensemble or other band in college is slim to none due to his schedule, has been challenging :)</p>
<p>He can be in Stomp or the Blue Man Group. :)</p>
<p>Lol! His main ambition was to someday be in the Blue Man Group (when he was in Middle School)!! 
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<p>entertainersmom…ya never know how your son’s drum playing may come in handy in his work in theater! The last show my D was in, her current show and her next show…all involve her playing instruments in the show! She is even playing accordion right now in a Shakespeare production! I bet your son may be able to play drums in gigs on the side. </p>
<p>It is a tough world out there for many college graduates, I hope my D will use college to learn the skills in “her trade” that will help her be more marketable and well-rounded (piano playing, sight reading, directing, etc…). It isn’t that different than going to college to study anything else and really a lot more focused than many including my older S. The fact they have any direction at all makes them all more likely to succeed at life, in my opinion :)</p>
<p>I’d be thrilled if he had an opportunity to continue playing, even better if he makes a little money here and there. :)</p>