[!@#$%!]

if you have a talent for painting, it might be a risky move to ditch it all; but then again, being oppressed by a century of ancestors can be quite stifling.

go ahead and rebel-- school is if anything a place where you can experiment with other things. it's supposed to broaden your mind and challenge you to try new things. my guess is that you might eventually get back to painting once you feel you can bring something fresh/new to it, rather than being stuck in a rut-- if this is a natural talent you have, it will not let you give it up. challenge yourself and enjoy the mess.

picasso did theatre set designs, sculpture, and ceramics, besides painting. matisse fucked with paper cutouts. on the other hand, alexander calder was from a family of engineers and ditched that to make mobile sculptures. maybe you'll jump forward or sideways or across the street, but it's cool you don't want to jump back.