College is stressful enough as is, but some of us happened to make it even harder for ourselves. We chose the route of being a STEM student. You’d think that it’s been a long time coming and STEM students have always wanted to do something in STEM or a healthcare field, but even I can vouch that my dream wasn’t always to be downed in a lab coat and micropipette in hand. Before I discovered my love for science, I wanted to be a screenwriter and a film director. I loved theatre and the cinematography of a vast array of movies. But I put that aside to pursue a completely different path.
Now, I can sometimes find it difficult to validate my artistic urges that claw to the surface in hopes of an escape. Whether it’s stress, boredom, or burnout, I’ve found ways to cope and give time to these wants and dreams. I posted a short survey to gauge the opinions and creative outlets of my fellow left-brained STEM ladies and found that 87.5% of them felt that not having a consistent creative outlet affected their mental health. “I often feel ‘burned out’, respondent Lauryn Keith, expressed, “like I no longer have the energy to do the same repetitive and never-ending things.” It’s hard to find a balance between letting self-expression and passion come out to play when STEM doesn’t offer a safe space for a colorful and free-ranging mind.
Express Yourself
I’ve found that gauging why I’m stressed allows me to take a break even when I don’t want to or feel like I shouldn’t. It can be fun to sit around and do nothing sometimes, but having a hands-on task can stop the feeling that you’re wasting time. Knitting, ballet, embroidery, singing, playing piano, painting, sketching, coloring, writing, pottery, poetry, and creating worlds and storylines in stimulation games are ways that respondents felt they could express themselves. “I work at an art studio,” Jasmyn Weaver says, “it requires me to come up with solutions on the fly to a multitude of different problems. I get to help people with ombré techniques and teach them how to do creative DIY projects, as well as make [my] own projects to hang up in the studio.”
Don’t Hide It Away
Why not use art as your form of self-care? I can thoroughly enjoy going out with friends or taking a long bath or dying my hair on a whim, but sometimes I like to sit down and write a cheesy short story because a song inspired me to think of one. Yuliana Rincon responded saying, “I think you should definitely consider doing both, especially in STEM where we’re learning heavy-handed and complex information. Doing something hands-on and creative will help bring enjoyment into your life.” It’s overwhelming when you take life so seriously all the time. Art is a free and open place to further anything you may be passionate about, so go ahead and crochet that scarf or try to replicate a Van Gogh painting if that’s what you want to do. Periodt.
Feel Confident In Your Choice
On very difficult or discouraging days, I often find myself wishing I could’ve gone towards my ambition of becoming a director or screenwriter due to it feeling “easier”, but no successful career is easy. I have to remind myself of what I am striving towards and be confident. As a woman of color in STEM, I made my choice and love my choice. When asked why she chose a career in STEM, Lizzie VanBrunt said, “I decided to pursue biology because passionately, [in] Women’s Health, I could have more of a direct impact by being in STEM.” Tashayla Braxton said that, “actively helping people in a medical environment was fulfilling to me. When I think of my artistic outlet, I see it as a more personal way to deal with my stress and [escape] from the hardships of being in STEM.”
Our fields can be so heavy and overwhelming, and when we don’t want to sit still but need time to breathe, art can be a stimulating and expressive form of freedom from our daily stressors. Between Vector Calculus and painting, Organic Chemistry and ballet, or Cybersecurity and knitting, let loose in every way that allows you to feel unbound.
I want to thank all the respondents to my survey that helped inspire me to write this, and the creative women in my life in STEM and in any other field who express themselves in whatever takes shape before them.
Sincerely,
Angie