Why does it feel like nobody else my age has the same appreciation for photography, art, or architecture as me?

It is the world of selfies today. I am nowhere near your age but even when I was growing up there were few people like myself who appreciated the elegance of architecture or photography that captures a feeling an essence. My son is way older than you too, but other than myself, one of my brothers, and my son, I don’t know people who really appreciate photography or art. Only my son and I appreciate architecture. I wish I had discovered my love for it earlier in my life. I think I would’ve enjoyed that as a career choice. Hmm, well maybe not. My math was pretty good but once I hit geometry I kind of tanked. LOL. Maybe you can take architecture and you will meet like-minded people. Oh, one more thing. If you ever get the chance to visit Europe and Asia, do so. So many beautiful buildings. And one other thing. Never take tons of photos just for the sake of taking photos. Less is more and forces you to capture the essence than just the object.

When I was about eleven, my mother worked customer service at the MIT Press in Cambridge. I always liked to draw, so she started bringing home books on art and architecture for me. Copper plate etchings, British illustration, Portraits of Native Americans, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hannah House — the subjects were all over the place. I think they were defects from print runs and employees could just take them. I read them cover to cover and devoured all the images. It was perfect for a latch key kid home alone for hours a day.

As a result though, I developed an eclectic interest in art, photography and architecture.

I was the only one I knew like that fir years. I studied architectural drafting in high school, but none of my classmates or even the teachers cared that much.

Got an internship at a big architecture firm in the city but even there, not as much as I’d hoped for.

Finally, I went to an art and design college and found my people.

I still have many of those books today and I know that my life and career choices were definitely influenced by them.

Don’t give up your interests, just keep looking for your people.

It feels that way because you haven’t met (or aren’t close with) the people that do. If you are very much into art, it’s not really surprising that most people are less interested than you, yourself. There are so many different areas of interest, and the people you meet are just dispersed all over those fields.

Still, I would encourage you to keep looking until you find people that get it. It’s a lovely feeling when you do. I wouldn’t give up on your generation, either. That’s a bit unfair, going by the small sample of people you know well, and it might also prevent you from being open to friendships that could work out really well. My data is just as anecdotal as yours – but for what it’s worth, I know many young people who love art.

You’ve tried just one club, right? Maybe there are photography meetups in your area. Perhaps there’s a paid class you could join at the community college, or a local museum you could volunteer at, or maybe an artists’ workspace. Find the art community within your local group. The people who have dedicated their life to their interest, not just an hour to take part in a college club.

If all else fails, start your own thing. Anyone can make a flyer and invite other students for a visit to the museum of art history. Pick a fairly specific outing that would only appeal to the hardcore art lovers.

Good luck. It’s hard. But it’s worth it.

Do not give up your interests.

I loved art history in college. Are you at a big university? What city are you in? Some cities have more emphasis and awareness of the arts, and maybe that contributes to how many people at your school are interested. I would think there would be at least a few kids as interested as you.

It would be great if you had friends who had some similar interests, but people having varying interests is what makes a society. Just think of a very small town in history. A few farmers, a general store owner, a barber, a teacher, a photographer, a sheriff, a doctor, a nurse, we need people with diverse interests and talents. It also wasn’t unusual in history for artists to go to the larger cities where the arts were in bigger demand and more appreciated. Although, small cities can be Meccas for the arts. It really depends. Some schools have more emphasis on the arts, and of course there are schools that are hyper focused on theatre or dance or fashion, etc.

The arts are more of a love, while many other subjects are a like or a means to a career. My friends who are art teachers or photographers love the work, same with my friends who are pilots, they love to fly. My friends who are accountants like numbers and are good at it. I don’t think it’s the same though as dancers and artists I know.

Plenty of careers you can use your interests or your interests might be a side thing. Look into options. I do have friends who sell their artwork, are photographers for parties, do graphic design, teach art to children, and my grandfather owned an art supply store for many years, and was very inside the art circles. He was a great artist, but never sold his work.

One nice aspect of appreciating art and architecture is that you can enjoy it by yourself; it isn’t like a team sport or group activity.

When I was 19, I had framed artwork on the walls of my dorm room, rather than posters of music groups. While Art History was a general education requirement at the University, most kids viewed it as drudge work. I reveled in it.

If you have a good fine arts museum near you, join them (students usually get discounted membership fees). And see if they have a social group for young people. Where I live, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco has a group called Art Point for young professionals. You could join when you are 21.

As you age, more and more people you will meet will “come out of the closet” on their appreciation of art and architecture. At age 19, many people are still forming their opinion on what they like and don’t like. The great thing is, the appreciation is not something one grows out of , but can carry for the rest of your life.

There are people who are very into art… especially outside the USA… ;-)