Things We Live For

                Over the past decade or so there has been a giant push in the S.T.E.M. subjects in schools. Having moved into the 21st century for a good 16 years now, the American public as a whole seems to believe that this is where our future lies. So naturally, legislatures and others with power and money are emphasizing STEM subjects in schools. Most of the grants offered appear to be directed toward those in STEM fields. Government programs forgave loans for teachers going in to STEM subjects. Large corporations made donations in the name of almighty STEM advancement. For those of you are unaware, or ignorant, or both, the acronym includes Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. I’m not here to judge, and I acknowledge that these are indeed vital to our lives and the progress of the world, but I think that something is missing from this unprecedented weight appointed to the hard sciences: art.

                And when I talk of art, I mean all the “softer” sciences: music, sculpture, drawing, dance, athletics, drama, reading, writing, philosophy, geography, and history.

                No, I am not blind to the fact that students still receive many of these subjects in schools. There are thousands of successful programs out there.

                Yes, I know that a primary focus in elementary schools is literacy, and we have spent millions of dollars to become literate human beings, but this literary emphasis sometimes gets set aside when students move into their secondary education years for subjects that “really matter” or will provide a better salary. Good for us. But it seems that when push comes to shove, and the almighty dollar is in question, art and music programs are the first to be axed in the name of progress or “saving failing schools.” They are often not rediscovered until after high school graduation and post-secondary work has commenced.

                Please don’t think I do not deem STEM subjects irrelevant or unnecessary. I know they are important, and I believe that we need to explore them in more depth as society moves forward, but in and of themselves, I view them as hollow shells—a framework of a building if you will. What gives life to a building, though, are the people, the lives that inhabit it.

                I understand that there is a “S.T.E.A.M.” movement to bring Art back into the middle of this 21st century education, but from what I have seen, it is small. So I want to add my two cents. First, I want to share an excerpt from Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society:

                “This is a battle, a war, and the casualties could be your hearts and souls…Armies of academics going forward, measuring poetry. No! We will not have that here. No more Mr. J. Evans Pritchard. In my class you will learn to think for yourselves again. You will learn to savor words and language.

                “No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world. I see that look in Mr. Pitts’s eye, like nineteenth century literature has nothing to do with going to business school or medical school, right? Maybe. Mr. Hopkins, you may agree with him, thinking, ‘Yes, we should simply study our Mr. Pritchard and learn our rhyme and meter and go quietly about the business of achieving other ambitions’. I have a little secret for you. Huddle up. Huddle up!

                “We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race and the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering—these are all noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love—these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman: ‘O me! O life! Of the questions of these recurring; Of the endless train of the faithless—of cities filled with the foolish; What good amid these, O me, O life? Answer: That you are here—that life exists, and identity; That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse.’ That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”

                Like Mr. Keating, I allow that there are other pursuits in life, but I also question why life is worth living if not to enjoy the stories, the experiences, the ideas of others. It is the small, simple pleasures that bring meaning to life. When we share our emotions with the human family, we make connections, we find purpose in life. (I discussed this briefly this in a previous blog post.)

                In his book, The Arts and the Creation of Mind, Elliot W. Eisner discusses ten lessons the arts teach. I think they are poignant and worthy of sharing with you.

1.       Arts help us learn to make good judgments about qualitative relationships.

2.       Problems can have more than one answer.

3.       Problems can be solved by changing circumstances and opportunities.

4.       It is important to see and celebrate multiple perspectives.

5.       The limits of our language do not define the limits of our cognition.

6.       Small differences can have large effects.

7.       Arts help us experience the world in different ways.

8.       Arts give us ways to express what can’t be said.

9.       Arts give us opportunities to think through and within a material.

10.   If the school (or parent) values art, the child values art.

                By sharing these tenets, I don’t mean to start an argument; they’ve just been on my mind since I encountered them in an article written by Shauna Valentine for McKay Today Magazine (“The Artist in All of Us,” Fall 2016). Art is everywhere; it is the craft, the thought, the passion behind the necessary elements of life. It is what we live for. There are so many more people who can express this better than I can, but oh, well. They either are better artists or wordsmiths than I am, or they have taken the time to craft their arguments. I am just rambling today.

                However, I don’t think anyone will argue that art and all of the threads it weaves into the fabrics of our lives are not essential for enjoying life. Gordon B. Hinckley once said, “Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured” (“Standing True and Faithful,” 1996). Art brings joy; it is indispensable for living happily on this planet and being productive members of society in the 21st century. STEM is important, yes, but I think even more important is teaching each other how to find beauty and joy as we incorporate science, technology, engineering, art, and math into every aspect of our lives and we share our experiences, our emotions, our creations, and our dreams.

                Even though I lack skill with the pencil, the brush, or the clay, my spirit concurs with the words Vincent van Gogh penned to his brother Theo in a letter in January 1874: “…I also have nature and art and poetry, and if that isn’t enough, what is?”