The brain, that squishy walnut-looking organ between your ears. It's really interesting that the brain can ponder itself.
The division of labor between the two halves of the brain is also fascinating - the left brain controls the right side of the body, and takes care of speech, logic, & math, while the right brain controls the left side and excels in spacial orientation, creativity, and registers the world through images.
Brain tests were all the rage on Facebook for a while. In writing this post, I decided to take one myself, and the results were much what I imagined - 58% right brain - balanced, with a slight leaning to the creative side.
So maybe it's little wonder that I've always walked this balance beam. Flash back to 1999, when I was getting ready to graduate high-school. I had a tough time deciding what I wanted to study in college, and specifically, I was torn between art and science. I took almost every AP science class offered (chemistry, physics, math), as well as every art class. In the end, I went to a small school in Western NY called Alfred University, where I studied Ceramic Engineering.
Ceramic what? Yes, Ceramic Engineering - basically the understanding and manipulation of technical ceramics. The applications can range from making sinks and toilets, to catalytic converter substrates, dental replacement teeth and space-ship insulation. The list goes on. Oh yeah, so science, I chose to go to school for science.
I worked for a small research and development company for 10+ years - doing science stuff. There is way-more creative thinking in engineering than you might expect. Especially in research, grant writing, and problem solving - employing the proverbial (and trite) "thinking outside the box".
So I let the left brain take the lead for many years; but it stated to get a little crispy. I needed a change. I quit my long time job and went out on my own, which is when I started getting serious about my jewelry.
I initially started making jewelry around 2006, first wire wrapped designs, then took a metal smithing class through my local arts center. I continued metalsmithing classes, working my way up to running their open studios, and then eventually started teaching some classes of my own.
I launched Moon & Bone Jewelry in 2014 to make the kind of jewelry I want to wear and see in the market place. Pieces that are beautiful, well made, vibrant, and interesting. I find that both my creative and technical background serve me well, in both making jewelry and business.
The time has come to further explore my creative side, following my right brain's lead - while "unofficially getting my MBA" in (my own) business... so I guess the left hemisphere isn't getting off that easy either.
Are you left or right brain dominant? Have you totally changed career paths, or would you like to?
I'd love to hear about your experience. Leave a comment below!
Hi! I'm Morgana, and this is me working in my jewelry studio.
“I find that both my creative and technical background serve me well, in both making jewelry and business. ”
Results from my "brain" test. Take yours here.
Me (Morgana Fall), back when I was the Operations Engineer for Ceralink Inc and working in my 1700 C kiln. (photo Ceralink Inc)