I heard about a CIBC study on the radio. It seems that engineering graduates make 117% more than high school graduates, but fine arts grads make 12% less.

TWELVE PERCENT LESS?!?

I know I haven’t chosen the most lucrative profession in the world, and I suppose I could have figured out for myself that working full-time at Blenz would earn me more, but this, CIBC, is rubbing salt in the wound.

More than that, I makes me wonder if I’m doing the right thing when I praise my kids’ story-writing efforts. Should I be hiding their notebooks and doubling their math homework?

I’ve been stewing over this for weeks. At first I told myself that people in the arts are happier people, so their earning potential doesn’t matter. But I’m not sure that’s true, either. I’m a happy person. But every artist? Every writer? Hmmm….

More recently, I’ve decided that writers and artists, if not happier, are at least more free. Free to work when and how we want. Free to share our ideas (unlike scientists working for, say, the Canadian government). Free to dither over random radio news for days.

And if my kids end up eking out a wage in the arts, I’ll be proud. If they’re working for Enbridge… not so much.