I count myself very lucky to have grown up in a school district that had strong arts offerings: early exposure to art and especially music had a profound effect on my development as a creative thinker. Neurologist Oliver Sacks says that music is essential to the development of the brain, and Milton Glaser argues that without the ability to draw, we lose the ability to understand and interpret life. Plus, there are plenty of publications advocating and confirming such claims.
It is very sad that a lot of American children won’t have the early exposure to the arts that I did. The fact that arts programs tend to fall victim to cost-cutting measures is news to no one, but it really makes no sense. Try to name one profession that wouldn’t benefit from creative thought, I certainly can’t think of one. Arts education is all benefit, though it is also hard work. But it will pay off, I guarantee it.