“Art is never finished. It is only abandoned.”

“Art is never finished. It is only abandoned.”  

The truth in the phrase "Art is never finished. It is only abandoned." from Leonardo da Vinci leaves a lasting impression all these centuries later.

Art has helped define who I am today. It's always been a big part of my life. Fortunately, I was able to infuse my creative talents with my career, but for many students they never get that opportunity...

Through art, I’ve met some tremendous people and found a wonderful escape into a creative world. Art has given me freedom to express who I am and explore my passions. It’s made me a perfectionist of sorts; never truly satisfied with any of my works. As DaVinci put it, I’ve always felt that art is never truly finished. Instead, it’s an ongoing balance between life and the world around us. 

 I’ve always taken a great amount of pride in knowing that I created my own career path. I founded Senergy Marketing Group in 2011, a small art agency in my hometown of Philipsburg, PA, which provides marketing and creative services. So much of what we do as a business was established through the foundation of art, and now I see just how much the time and efforts of those around me have played a critical role in where we are as a company today. 

Art has afforded me the ability to meet some incredible people. One of those people, Barry Raker, was my high school art teacher at Philipsburg-Osceola. I met Barry nearly 20 years ago (really, 20 years ago?), and it feels like just yesterday when he introduced me to the world of digital art. 

Raker had been teaching at PO before he had me in class. And, some years prior, he started Illustrator’s Club, an after-hours program where students could freely create art and explore its possibilities.

"With a rapidly changing world, things like technology change so much it becomes burdensome for young students to truly keep up with the tools and skill sets needed to carve out a creative career path."

His mentorship turned into a meaningful friendship, and recently I asked him about his impressions of me all those years ago. Here’s what he said:

“Toward the latter end of Ryan's high school career, I began working in Adobe Photoshop. He seemed very interested in the digital art aspect of the software and I began pushing him toward that venue as well as his traditional skills. Eventually, the fusion between digital art, his own fine art (painting), and graphic design all led to his future successes. Those that participate in Illustrator's Club have a venue in which to develop special artistic interests outside the art classroom. My hope is that, just like Ryan, others see how their love for art, and their developing skills, can translate into nearly any field they pursue. Ryan was able to make that connection, and build that bridge. I hope others can as well.”

Unfortunately, that’s not as easy for other students with a passion for art. With a rapidly changing world, things like technology change so much it becomes burdensome for young students to truly keep up with the tools and skill sets needed to carve out a creative career path. That, combined with a de-emphasis on arts funding in our public schools and it’s easy to see why finding ways to use your artistic talents in a career can become difficult.

Subjects such as visual arts, music, and theater are often cut before other subjects. Over the years, a greater emphasis has been placed on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education in schools all across America. And while I absolutely understand the value in these subjects, I feel art education has fallen to a second tier, somewhat overshadowed.

This concerns me, and I hope it concerns you, too. The value of robust art education goes well beyond future earning potential. Not all education must lead to a career in that field. Those with solid art backgrounds have proven in studies to be better equipped for creative thinking, effective communication, and problem-solving. A balance between STEM and creative skills is valuable not only to your career but every aspect of life.

A popular phrase we’ve seen circulated around social media says, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” 

I was lucky enough to never be that fish, but so many with artistic talents are forced to adapt to a system that doesn’t favor them. That leaves programs vastly underfunded and hobbles the collective potential of an entire generation of aspiring artists.

I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve met people that later in life when they have the means, dabble with their creative side when they can afford to explore those talents. They learn how to become successful photographers, designers, videographers, and so much more. The problem is they’ve discovered those talents at a point in their lives when it’s too late to make it a career choice. We should be giving these students the tools necessary to explore those talents at a point in their lives where they can make meaningful choices if they so choose. 

Let me be clear: This is not a targeted attack on any specific school, organization, or person. I believe my own alma mater has placed an emphasis on our art program by hiring exceptional educators that are dedicated to their students in and out of the classroom. My point is programs like Illustrator’s Club are often overlooked and become underfunded by the public because it’s not front-page news or can’t easily be seen as a league title or district championship.

In order for our students to get a full understanding of what careers they can achieve through art, there ought to be a firsthand emphasis on the tools and resources that will get them there. Tools like the latest computers, tablets, mirrorless cameras, and software that professionals use every day are essential. It means staying in touch with alumni that have taken a career path in the arts and inviting them to share their journey with students. Most importantly, it takes the general public to support our students that want to develop these meaningful skills that they can carry with them the rest of their lives. 

I know similar viewpoints can be taken for other aspects of society, but, for me, I’m most qualified to talk about how art can change your life because it changed mine.

Leonardo da Vinci was right when he said art is never finished, but as a society, we should never truly abandon it.

Ryan Scaife

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Ryan Scaife is a marketing professional from Philipsburg, PA. His company, Senergy Marketing Group, which he founded in 2011 provides managed marketing services to mid-sized companies in the retail, construction, and oil and gas industries. Prior to his work at Senergy, Ryan was an aspiring artist attending Lock Haven University whose work was commissioned by collegiate and professional athletes across the country. Today, Ryan lives in Philipsburg with his wife Chelsea, and his children Palmer, and Patton.