It was a sigh of relief when I found out I would be an arts writer for the Chronicle. I had always been worried about my college experience feeling disconnected from the world outside of campus — a world that I knew existed and feared I was severely underprepared for. I wanted an experience that connected me to the arts in my community in new ways. I wanted to feel like I was engaged. I’m very lucky that I got to experience that with Student Media. 

Art Matters

In my time at the Chronicle, I’ve realized that the arts really matter to people. This might seem like a strange observation to make as an arts writer or arts advocate, but it’s still really striking to experience it to its full extent in person. The arts preoccupy people, artists and non-artists alike. If they don’t matter to you consciously, they influence your life without you knowing it. Watching Netflix on your bed in a dark room, listening to music as you walk between classes, taking photos with your friends — all of that comes from an artistic practice, whether it be your own or someone else’s. 

Seeing all the ways art runs through our campus and Salt Lake community has made me think a lot about art’s intersectionality with other fields. I learned how the arts intersect with medicine and mental health when talking with arts practitioners in the medical field, such as those at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. I also learned about the arts as a pedagogical methodology in my interview with Penelope Caywood, Artistic Director of the U’s Youth Theatre program. We discussed how the arts help in a child’s development, and I feel them changing my own thinking and confidence, even in adulthood. 

The Future is Creative

The arts provide a hopeful vision for the future. Amid a world of climate change, economic instability and pandemics, how are the arts a tool for innovation? How are they a tool for peace and connection — something we can’t ignore that humans need to live a happy and healthy life?

The realization that all people need the arts has led to my consistent interest in its accessibility. I realize my own privilege in having the opportunity to have an open, immense experience of the arts through Student Media. If anything is a worthy endeavor, it’s working to make the arts more accessible for all people. It’s giving others the opportunity to experience the personal and collective life-transforming power of the arts. 

If you are in any way interested in immersing yourself in the world of art, there are so many people that are willing to connect with you and talk about their experiences and give you advice. If you’re an artist yourself, or someone interested in representing the arts, like a student journalist, I suggest you reach out to those individuals that interest and inspire you. You never know what kind of fruitful connection can come from it. You can find amazing insights and joy at every corner; most of it is just showing up. I’m so grateful I did. 

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@tervela_g