Artistic Endeavours
Some cultures value the arts so highly, they invest a large proportion of their GDP into their museums, operas, ballets and art galleries. France is a country famed for its writers, artists, actors and film-makers, and is the country we have to thank for the word 'gourmet' - the rest of we mere mortals look like underachievers by comparison.
My first insight into the French attitude to artistic pursuits came courtesy of a French couple I had befriended when our children were very small.
"I don’t understand the Australian preoccupation with owning your own home," said Francoise. "In France we rent so that we can spend our money on cultural pursuits, good food and wine."
This attitude sums up the diversity in our cultures. In Australia we dream of owning a quarter acre block in the suburbs with a garden and a swimming pool.
In France, rented apartment living is the norm, with a small balcony on which to grow some potted geraniums and a correspondingly low maintenance lifestyle. No wonder the French have more time to go to concerts, galleries and restaurants!
I'm not advocating one way of living over the other, but it goes a long way towards explaining the discrepancy in the contribution each of our governments makes towards the arts.
Young Australians who want to pursue their dream of making a living from artistic endeavours must first vie for the scarce tertiary places in our colleges of the arts, and then compete in a tough and relatively small marketplace for the arts dollar.
My oldest son has chosen journalism, my younger son is studying music (guitar of course) and my Year 11 daughter Eliza has recently announced that she plans to pursue an acting career.
Not an accountant, brain surgeon or lawyer among them.
In an effort to encourage her not to put all her eggs in the one basket, I persuaded Eliza to see the school careers counsellor to discuss her other options.
Prior to this, she had taken part in an analysis of her abilities on one hand and her interests on the other. It is the current view that the most important factor in choosing a career is to follow your heart rather than your (or your mother's) head, and the subjects in which one performs best are not always those one enjoys the most.
The careers counsellor was quite excited by the outcome of Eliza’s report. She performed well in a range of subjects that extended her choice of careers to anything from a barrister to a veterinarian, but of no interest to Eliza. She has little regard for the law and, while she loves animals, she can’t stand the sight of blood.
The counsellor took out a piece of paper and drew a circle on it, explaining that every individual's 'pie' was made up of segments of different proportions, reflecting a number of different interests. She asked Eliza to indicate the proportion of the pie that represented acting for her.
Without a word, Eliza drew a full circle with her index finger, then placed her hand back in her lap.
I had been told.
Never one to make a fuss or inflict her opinions on others, Eliza had finally made me understand the strength of her feelings. I now know that my role is to support her in her choice and let her dance to the beat of her own drum. It has worked for her brothers: the oldest is the co-creator and editor of a successful online youth magazine, and his younger brother is halfway through a music industry course, performing and writing music reviews.
And my French friends? The last I heard they had bought themselves a house in the suburbs …
by Elizabeth Quinn • Copyright 2012
