I grew up obnoxiously smart. I'm sure everyone who knew me assumed I'd grow up to major in Biology or Engineering. I was very fortunate when it came to choosing my major and career path. I excelled in almost every subject, so the decision ultimately stemmed from what I was most passionate about. Much to the demise of family and friends, I chose journalism.
*Cue the jokes about fake news.*
As I assimilated into the college environment, I quickly realized that in the grand scheme of the university, I was no longer thought of as a smart kid. Upon hearing that my major was mass communication, many students I've met would follow up with questions such as, "But what do you do with a mass comm degree?" "Isn't that just vlogging and social media and stuff like that?"
In addition to questioning my major, I realized that STEM majors were also assuming that I didn't know/understand basic scientific concepts. I have even shocked one of my STEM friends with my knowledge of latitude and longitude.
Knowingly or unknowingly, STEM majors often try to explain these concepts whether the explanations are wanted or not. I've lovingly nicknamed this phenomenon "sci-splaining." I believe this stems from the belief that they know more than you because of their major. They feel the need to educate you because you couldn't possibly know anything about science or technology, right?
Just like STEM majors have to learn writing and designing skills for constructing scientific works and papers, creative majors have to familiarize themselves with a variety of different subjects. Personally, as a journalist, I've had to research and familiarize myself with many topics such as herpetology, astronomy, and virtual reality.
People simply don't associate intelligence with creative majors such as mass communication, art, design, marketing, and liberal arts, but this is a complete misconception. Journalists must analyze and decipher information to create stories that can possibly change the course of history, and designers must have extensive knowledge of geometric and design principles.
I believe that these creative degrees are unappreciated because they are often overlooked. When you go to a hospital to have a procedure done, you know the doctor, you recognize the doctor and you ultimately end up appreciating the doctor. It's not often that you find yourself appreciating the journalist who wrote a column on Kardashian drama, the artist that designed the mural for your candid photos or the interior designer who decorated your favorite restaurant.
This is not a hate letter to STEM majors. Most of my friends and family are STEM majors. This is just a friendly reminder that creativity is a form of intelligence too. We must learn to appreciate each other and all of our unique skills and capabilities. Take a minute to appreciate a writer or an artist today.
