Money is not worth the cost of mental well-being
By: Dalila Kahvedzic
Staff Writer
There has recently been uproar with Old Navy in regards to a T-shirt sold for toddlers.
After countless customer complaints, the shirt has been removed and discontinued — for good reason.
This particular T-shirt put an unnecessary shame to the title ‘artist.’ Old Navy’s T-shirt had ‘young aspiring artist,’ written on it, with the word artist crossed off and replaced by words such as ‘astronaut’ and ‘president.’ What is this teaching young children, that aspiring to be an artist is not good enough? That if this child grows up to be a photographer or a painter, they are not good enough? In 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay of a craft and fine artist was $45,080 per year, about $21.68 per hour.
The median pay of an accountant or auditor was $67,190 per year, about $32.30 per hour.
Now get this — in 2010, the American Journal of Public Health published an article which pinpointed positive outcomes of art after conducting over 100 studies.
Art therapy proved to relieve symptoms with health concerns such as cancer.
Poetry helped in the role of healing — authors described that the use of poetry helped them find their voice through words that could not be found in ordinary language.
Thirty-five women who competed in a 12-week trial which focused on healing through dance and movement said it improved their quality of life.
According to Economia.com and the Chartered Accountants Benevolent Association — an association which provides support and assistance in stressful situations — two main reasons for phone calls in 2014 were apprehensions about stress and mental wellbeing, with a highlight on accountants and their increased pressure at work and home.
More research has found that 32 percent of accountants have feelings of stress in their day-to-day life.
When did money become so much more important than mental well-being? Often many people aspire to certain careers because of financial stability, but that should not be the end goal or a deciding factor — emotional fulfilment should come first and that is what we should be teaching young children.
I am in no way whatsoever attempting to downplay being an accountant (or any other career for that matter) because, well, what would we do without them? As they say — if the shoe fits.
We all have our strengths and weaknesses and if accounting is right for you — fantastic.
But this is also no reason to downplay a young, aspiring artist.
I have met a caricaturist on Hollywood Boulevard who seemed like the happiest man to walk the earth and an accountant who seemed to be the most stressful.
I have in the same sense known a stressful artist and a happy accountant.
This is no reason to teach kids that being an artist is not enough — because it certainly is.
