Creativity drives intelligence
There is a scientific theory, the idea of being “left-brain or right-brain dominant.” Left brain thinkers are analytical or methodical, and right-brain thinkers are said to be more creative. The left-brainers use logic and the right-brainers use subjectivity. AKA, good at math and not good at math. Normally, people are one or another, which ties into the idea that we think one way our whole life. I’m terrible at math. I know it seems random, maybe even a little dramatic, but trust me, I’m absolutely horrible at it. All of the numbers and equations just seem to get scrambled in my head, and I can’t put them on paper.
The people around me don’t understand it. They always ask me: “Why can’t you do this?” and “It’s really not that difficult.” It seems as though I have always been surrounded by people who cannot understand why math is so hard for me. Understanding the left and right brain theory, continuously being told that I will “become better with time” never has made sense to me and probably never will make sense. Understanding that we think one way or another makes the talent of being creative a little more impressive and should be recognized at all ages.
Maybe the reason why I struggle in math is that I’ve been drawing and doing art my whole life. For years now, the majority of my time was dedicated to learning drawing techniques and understanding color. Little projects that started and ended for most kids in preschool never stopped for me. In my life, it seems like artistic talent replaced math skills.
I used to be so jealous of people who just “got math,” of people who could sit down, look at all those root symbols and f(x) equations, and just know what to do. I was jealous of these people because they did not need to spend hours staring at a textbook, praying for a C. I was jealous of people who haven’t been laughed at whenever they answered the question “What do you want to do when you grow up?” because they said something that is “unrealistic,” like being an artist.
I believe that creativity should be encouraged at a young age. Creative skills such as drawing can be just as complicated as math, and I don’t think that is recognized enough in society today. Society is always focused on what people aren’t capable of. Instead, the focus should be potential, even if that potential is not recognized as a skill. Creativity doesn’t even have to be putting a pencil on paper, it could be photography, playing an instrument, graphic design, science experiments, even daydreaming. No matter what it is, I believe that artistic skills and the ability to be creative should be taken more seriously.
