Interview With Jessica Blue
I had the pleasure of interviewing Jessica on the blessings and challenges of being “both brained”; competent with logic and with the creative.
When I first met Jessica, she had recently completed her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Victoria. Her major? Well, there was two, of course: Computer Science and Art. Quite the combination, and worthy of further exploration.
It is my experience that people are typically either good at Math and Science, or, English and Art, but not usually at both. Illustrations, such as this one below on the storefront of a school in Portugal, do a nice job of looking at where these strengths are located in the brain.
Q: So when did you even realize what being left and right brained was?
I have had an awareness of this for a long time, people bring it up. “Oh wow, you are good at math AND drawing?!” People relate it to specific tasks and things.
Q: Is that why you choose to major in two opposites for your undergrad degree? Computer Programming and Art must not be a very common choice together.
No, it was not. There were only about six people in my program. What I know about myself is that some days I just want to be creative and paint, and not have an answer for everything.
On other days, however, I really want to do math, and find the answer, and then move on with my day.
There were also days when I felt that I should have maybe done just one or the other. Maybe I didn’t get the full sense of either? But it really did work for me to do half and half, for how my brain works.
Jessica has pursued jobs in varied areas. She has worked at small, creative stores — like the kind where you make your own pottery — but she has also had a career job in computer programming. Along the way, she received her certification as a Life Coach, and most recently, Jessica has decided to pursue working in film.
Q: Tell me about your jobs and careers. Has it been hard to choose when you are good at both logic and creative?
My first career I choose out of university was a programmer for a software company. They hired me because I had a creative brain, but unfortunately that wasn’t really utilized. The job was mostly task-based.
At times, I found it stifling and boring. I really discovered through that job that if I’m not having fun, and not feeling like I’m contributing to the overall picture, I don’t work hard. This was a shocking revelation. I had a belief that I always worked hard; it turns out that’s not always the case. I was feeling that not all of my skills were being utilized, or being sought after, and that particular job there was a lot of individually driven tasks.
I was new and just learning…my first big-girl job. I was wanting to learn, so my first year was good. Then the energy got worse in the company around me: my supervisor, and the culture. It seemed that they really didn’t give a shit that I was a creative person. “Why aren’t you learning these high level, software practices?” Cuz, that’s not what I want to do?!
If I’m not being acknowledged, I’m not being fed. Then my inner five year old kicks in: “Screw software, let’s just work in the Caribbean!”
I do have a tendency to be hard on myself, and get dragged under by all of that, for not really good reasons. I had nothing to complain about, really, and I am good at a lot of things. But I was not stimulated.
In film, I don’t have time to think about that. It is so great to be working with other creative people. I am so used to working as the only token creative person on a team. I don’t even know how to explain it, but there is this innate way of thinking in creative people, particularly people who also hold a lot of right and left brain skills. Administration, plus others, all come together for great synergy.
I’m really firing on all cylinders these days, but I am exhausted. I must stay connected to the bigger part of myself, and pay attention to all of the parts, to stay in balance and not get resentful over time of putting all of my energy into one thing.
Q: So if I hear you right, it sounds like in the film industry, in this new type of job, you are finding it an asset to be strong in both your right and left brain. You can access both: can be creative and tap into that side, but yet also be organized and look at the larger picture?
Bouncing back and forth so much, especially in the art department, the ability to be creative helps me to have energy and focus for the administrative type tasks as well.
On the right, my creative ability…that part of my existence, being able to inherently pick something up, and just go with it. It is great.
The on the left, I can relate this to my job, efficiently being able to do anything that is thrown at me; prioritize in the moment, and hold the bigger picture stuff. This is all necessary for any development in this career that I have chosen.
I want to be a Production Designer. This would require a lot of meetings, a lot of time spent relaying information, but it is also holding that overall picture of what it needs to be, and bouncing between the two. This is where the right and left come together well.
Q: Are there challenges with being both brained? Does it come at a cost?
I have a hard time creating just for the sake of creating, because the other side will go “Why? What are we doing this for? What are the logistics of this endeavour? How are we doing to monetize it?” It can be like having an argument with myself.
Then there is my inner five year old (mentioned above). In my computer job, I just wanted to take control of the bus, and go for a joy ride!
I have a lot of different voices in my head. Is that the right/left brain thing, or just a product of being me? I try to allow all of them to have a say, but some days are hard.
Another challenge is that I have a hard time finishing things, because I get sucked into the new, next thing. That is probably why I am thriving in film: very tight deadlines; I can’t be finicky about the finished product; it has to be done. It doesn’t allow me that back and forth, and that indecision.
Just because I am capable of something, doesn’t mean I have to choose to do it. That I should, or have to. This was kind of new for me. People tend to, when you are good at something, pursue it. “That’s what you should do” is the message. If I pursue all of it, I end up with a lot of half-assed, which doesn’t feel good.
Q: Do you think being an only child had an influence on being dominant in both brains? Or is this just the way you are, even if you had siblings?
I don’t think it would have mattered? A combo of who my parents are? I’m a fairly even combination of the two of them. Even in appearance, personality, looks, and skills. My dad is more left/logical. My mom is more creative (she is an actor), but she is also a social worker. My dad is a teacher, and math and science oriented, but also sings! Perfect storm: parents who both carry strong tendencies.
As an only child, I did have more opportunity to explore both, and a lot of encouragement. My grandfather is a PhD. mathematician, so I have been doing calculus equations since I was 10! But I also would draw, and paint, and spend lots of time doing art projects. I draw, I paint, I knit, and sculpture was my favourite class in university. I have done metal word, wood working…. I have this belief that there is not a lot of creative things that I have not at least tried, or feel like I could just pick up.
Q: In your own personal journey and experience of trying to figure out how to balance right and left brain dominance, and capitalizing on either, or certainly just trying to be happy in the end…any advice you would give to people as they embark on their own journeys?
Ultimately it’s a discovery of self, and trust. I think my advice would be not to shy away from something just because somebody has labelled it as such. I used to get told all the time that I would have been a great Art and Math teacher, but ultimately it’s finding what works for you, finding what lights you up. If you aren’t being fulfilled by what you are currently doing, change it.
I am kind of the poster child for uprooting my life. For context, I literally dropped a very good life and job and security in Victoria to move to Vancouver and pursue film. No job security or assurance that it was going to work out.
Just having that trust in myself that I have enough skills that I could change, that no matter what circumstances came up, I could get what I wanted out of it and land on my feet. If I was totally right brained, I might have been too scared to make the change. On the other hand, if I was totally left brained, perhaps I would have been too logical to make the change. After all, I had many reasons NOT to: I had a totally good job; I had a cheap apartment; I could walk to work; why would I change it?! But I did.
I really truly believe that there are no wrong decisions. Finding what works for each person is really it.
Thank you Jessica Blue for your willingness to share your life, including your struggles and success. Whether right, left or both-brained, we can all find inspiration from your personal story.
