My daugher who was definitely going to be an artist told us late in junior year of high school that she wanted to be an engineer. We were pretty confused. She’s quite a talented artist. She’s also a very smart kid and we knew she could do whatever she wanted, but art really seemed like her thing. She also said she absolutely did not want to be paid to do art. She didn’t want that pressure.
She’s heading into her fourth year of engineering school this fall and it’s quite clear now that she’s going to be a very talented engineer. All those spatial skills come in handy in her field. New strengths have risen to the top and we can really see the particular skill set that will make her an excellent engineer. She still does art on the side–experiments with different mediums. We get the best birthday cards from her! She’s also had a membership to the local art museum most of her time at college. Her love for art hasn’t changed, but it’s place in her life has shifted.
Let your D do what she enjoys. If she loves art, and it sounds like she does, she’ll always keep it in her life, and the art EC’s are still EC’s and will only add to her college application. She’s just changed focus.