Artists Are Geniuses Too: Why Art Is Equally As Important As Science

By

Recently as I was mindlessly scrolling though the ever-popular Buzzfeed procrastinating going to bed at a decent hour as per usual, I stumbled across an article on questions that scientists would like to ask artists and I had never read anything so downright degrading and offensive to the creative population. It’s known that our society prioritizes mathematics over music and would rather slingshot wads of cash towards future engineers rather than future filmmakers, but to claim that art is for the unintelligent, the lazy, and the socially inept is the furthest from the truth.

Days full of equations, calculations, and endless amounts of formulas take a ton of intellect, hard work, and agility don’t get me wrong, but I would like to see a scientist try to make it through a full day of being an artist.

A typical day could possibly be 10-12 hours in a studio pushing ourselves to achieve this unachievable perfection. Paying close attention to the most miniscule of details. This pressure for perfection is simultaneously being balanced with this sense of freedom that art is supposed to bring.

An artist’s work is personal. It has to be pulled from the deepest valleys of our hearts, through our bones, muscles, and flesh and depicted on a canvas or through a simple movement or even just with one word. We are basically flipping ourselves inside out to try and convey a message or sting at least one person with a feeling.

With daily critiques by not only professors, but also our peers, we place our insides on a pedestal only to be knocked down by the harshness of self-evaluation. We are consistently judging ourselves and being told by others that our insides aren’t good enough and that we need to work harder or just simply start over. This is usually accompanied by many sleepless nights, skipped meals, and isolation to continue our work.

Artists have to be extremely in sync with themselves. Knowing their limits and what can be pushed further. Artists are always yearning to reach the next level. Part of being a great artist is figuring out who you are which can be one of the most intense challenges a human being can face in their life.

Art has the power to make people feel. A song, watching a ballet, or staring at a painting has the power to remind people that they are alive. Bringing out these hidden emotions and being able to touch a stranger’s heart is not easy. It really takes a lot of self-exposure, understanding, and empathy.

A scientist doesn’t have to look in the mirror, pick out all their faults and show them off to the world. Science comes with assurance. Math comes with a correct answer. Chemicals don’t show weakness or human error. Numbers are exact.

Art is different, but art is equal.

One of the questions that was mentioned in the Buzzfeed article was, “Do artists think that science students are all geniuses?”

The answer is yes. There is something very admirable about spending time trying to figure out the way this world operates, or learning the structure of the human body, or spending years upon years trying new combinations of medications in order to heal. Maybe it’s not that an artist can’t do that, but it’s that an artist chose not to do that.

An artist is a genius too. A genius who can dig deep into themselves and show off what they discover to the world. Anyone who can’t see the beauty in the unique choices of others is just ignorant. Each individual brings a new talent to the table making up our incredible human-race so each path should be respected, applauded, and appreciated.