03/16/2026
I know I am massively late to the party with this one, but remember when Doug Ford dismissed a bunch of post-secondary programs as “basket weaving” courses?
Well, as you might know, I went to art school. Twice. At NSCAD, I literally took a weaving class and still own a small loom. I defy anyone who thinks these are easy skills to try reading a weaving pattern, and threading and setting up a loom.
Not only have I continued working in my field and contributing to the economy in Ontario, but the transferable skills I developed have given me a successful corporate career.
It’s astounding the lack of resourcefulness and problem-solving skills I’ve seen in some of the corporate environments I’ve worked in — often from people who followed the kind of education paths Doug Ford seems to think are the only acceptable ones.
One of my biggest strengths in a corporate job is being able to see what other people don’t. Art school teaches you to think differently. It teaches you to approach problems from multiple angles, to experiment, and to find solutions when there isn’t a clear path.
And despite the “basket weaving” stereotype, creative industries employ thousands of people and contribute billions to the economy.
You want people with critical thinking skills? Look for the creatives. We’ve been thinking outside the box long before politicians started trying to put us in one.
