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Your Personal Connection

We've all had defining moments in our lives. What personal experience with arts, culture, or creativity had an impact on your life and your view of the community?

When I was growing up, I was fortunate to have parents who valued the arts. My siblings and I were all exposed to the arts, including music and dance, from an early age; I took tap, ballet, and piano lessons for much of my childhood. These experiences imbued me with an appreciation for the arts early on.

When I got to college, my two roommates both played classical instruments. Although I had realized by that point that my own talents did not lie in the performing arts, I was blown away by their passion, creativity, and by how much of an impact the arts had on their lives. That experience helped me to fully understand how empowering the arts can be to young people, not only to pursue as a career, but in terms of developing critical thinking skills and a passion for trying new endeavors.

Ever since having those experiences, I have seen the arts not as a luxury, but as a necessity, especially for young people; in addition to creating the artists of tomorrow, whether they are painters or graphic designers, sculptors or architects, promoting the arts among young people will also create the patrons of the arts, who will continue to support the creative economy in Massachusetts for years to come.