KARACHI:
Can we envision a world without art, music or literature? It will take all the colours and life from the world. Where you will have dead colours in the name of painting, where you will have noise in the name of music, and where you will have just formal letters in the name of literature.
In Pakistan, we have formed art as something extra, usually referred to as a hobby. Even as children, we are taught that these hobbies shouldn’t overshadow our studies, as they are not lifelong pursuits. In this country, we have a concept of stable jobs that provides a stable income. Unfortunately, we don’t give much thought to mental stability as most of the time parents pressure children to choose those traditional careers.
There are many benefits to creative careers that are not well-known. Unlike traditional careers, creative careers are flexible and let you change your path. A content creator for instance could shift to digital marketing or launch their own agency. To add more, in the world debating that AI will take our jobs, creative professionals cannot be replaced entirely.
Our schools should introduce short courses to spark interest, and it will also provide awareness about the universe of career options instead of a bunch that we already know. Art is so beautiful that it allows humans to express their feelings. We all love songs, paintings and poetry so much that we could not even imagine a world without them. How unfortunate it is that we do not let our children create one!
Minha Rukhsar
Karachi
