When thinking of school, most students picture math, science, history, and English. However, majoring in arts such as dance, fine arts, and acting can also have a major contribution to our everyday lives.

A diverse range of people love and appreciate art. Many people believe that you need to have a certain “talent” in the arts in order to be good at them. This is also only a widespread rumor — art can be learned the same way anything else can be learned: it just takes patience. No dancer or actor or painter was born perfect — they all learned through practice. While some may start young, there is no age limit for becoming involved.

Believe it or not, art contributes a major part to your life. Art can help you think more creatively and broaden your imagination, which is important when you need to solve problems accurately, as it hands you more options. It can also release joy, ease tension, and give you confidence, all of which are important to the path to success. It’s better to draw or play music than to sit around watching YouTube, because it opens up your mind to more creative solutions and also loosens you up before you have to do work.

Still don’t believe you can involve yourself in arts? It’s possible, as I can say from personal experience. I started taking art lessons in first grade, and acting starting in third — and I absolutely hated it. Yet my parents forced me to go for the next six years, and it was only afterwards that I realized what an impact it had. Learning from a different perspective allowed me to think from different viewpoints. Presentations are my favorite things, because it allows me to try new ideas and capture my audience’s attention. I, a shy introverted girl who hid in the closet when we had guests over, am now one of the loudest, most talkative and (according to my friends and family) the most annoying person that people know — all thanks to art.

What I’m saying is — it’s all right to love art. It’s important for growth, and can lead to success. Walt Disney was able to fight through the mockery and the people who put him down for pursuing his rare dream of making cartoons and creating a powerful message using art. Likewise, it isn’t too late for you to do the same. So take out a pencil, a piece of scratch paper, and try sketching out a few lines until you make something you’re proud of.