When you learn about something, do you find yourself more drawn to the arts or to the sciences? More creative or more rational?
Share why if you wish.
Arts Or Sciences?
Asking — and answering — life's interesting questions
When you learn about something, do you find yourself more drawn to the arts or to the sciences? More creative or more rational?
Share why if you wish.
Sciences is the answer for me. I love to read about physics, chemistry, biology, and so on. I have a major in mathematics with a minor in physics.
Still, I wish I were better at the arts. I don’t have much in the way of natural artistic talent, but I wish I did. I quite envy those who do.
Art parts of life are nothing fancy I realize as I say the thing most people don’t believe. I have heard so many times people say they aren’t talented and they weren’t born with any artistic ability. But being a Dance Movement teacher for people of all ages and especially folks from 2 to 82 who had no experience whatsoever and probably would never have danced were it not for me….. I see art in everyone. As teacher I can honestly say that I need just you showing up for work that makes one an artist. When we start class and you are there you are an artist. The Dance Arts are literally defined by Curt Sachs as ‘any rhthmic activity not of the work mode’. It will not be that hard to find then would it be if we all just continue to do it like no one’s watching. I’m not a graphic artist and so I don’t really know what it’s like to hold chalks or paint or charcoals in my hands and make them magically come alive but I do know that dance and movement as well as voice are possible just as fun, that the doing of them is actually the art. At least for myself I never in the end loved performing. I love rehearsing. I would love to be in the studio and in the practice rooms for hours on end but when it comes right down to the stage fright parts of being in a performance I could skip the whole thing. When I’m actually performing at my Peak most height is when teaching. Literally when I’m teaching someone to go up on highest tiptoe demonstrating how high I can go – that is when I really reach the clouds. When I coach you to go higher higher higher, that is when I am at my most brilliant. And you become a genius.
I know above I mentioned that I don’t have any natural artistic talent, but I have an anecdote that invalidates that….
One of my favorite artists is cartoonist Lynda Barry, who also teaches art. In her class, she talks about how, for young children, the simple act of creation is a joyful one. It is only after the notion of quality, “good” drawings or “bad” drawings get applied to their work do they become discouraged.
I like this idea (although I know from experience that a young artist can also get frustrated when what they have in their head doesn’t match what gets put on the paper). Artistic expression, without judgement of “quality”, should be the goal.
However, I have several friends and/or relatives that can make beautiful drawings, and I envy them that ability that I do not possess. I also envy people who can play a musical instrument, or sculpt clay, or whatever. Of course, I don’t see the years of effort and repetition and work that goes in to doing what they do, I just see the final outcome.
As I alluded to in the comment above, the repetition in my life has been in learning about the way the world works. It’s what I enjoy, and what I’m good at.