We hear this word a lot in our daily lives: Balance. When Elizabeth invited me to write for her anniversary celebration about my combination of technical and artistic endeavors, this topic is the first that came to mind.

I am an artist. Photography is my primary medium but I also write and paint. I love to explore the world of creativity and art, through whatever medium is available to me in the moment. My perception of the world around me, how I see, my experience of life, is deepened and enhanced by my artistic practice.

I am an engineer. Trained as an electrical engineer and working in the semiconductor industry, I have spent most of my professional life focusing on things that aren’t visible to the naked eye. I’ve learned to sort through measurements and observations to get to the root of an issue and solve a problem. My understanding of the world around me, the forces of nature, are important to my technical practice.

These are ostensibly opposite and unrelated roles. Left brain vs. right brain, mathematical vs. unquantifiable, explainable vs. unknowable. They should be in conflict with each other. And yet… they are not. What I’ve found is that they work together in surprising ways. The push and pull of opposing forces creates a balance that would otherwise not exist.

I’ve seen my artistic skills help in my technical work. They allow me to suspend belief and assumptions, to play and explore concepts, so that new observations can be made. My artistic skills allow me to describe technical concepts visually and intuitively, so that I can both understand the concepts myself and then explain to other people.

On the other side, the skills I’ve learned in my technical career support me in my artistic endeavors. I understand how and why my camera works, which allows me to focus on creative interpretation. I know how to solve a complex problem, by breaking it down into parts. In my professional role I’ve learned to take an idea, create a plan, and carry it through to completion, which helps me reach my artistic goals.

The most interesting thing I’ve discovered: Some of my strongest skills apply to both artistic and technical endeavors equally. I follow my intuition and make leaps in understanding. I am able to name things, to make them knowable and yet still hold room for the unknown at the same time. I have the ability to look at a complex system, break it down in to pieces, parts, and procedures, so it can be repeated over and over again with good results. I am able to communicate those systems and procedures to others; I teach.

When I first started on my artistic journey, I thought there was no relationship between my creative and professional worlds. They felt contrary, in conflict. What I’ve come to learn over time however, is the harmony that exists between them. Without one, I wouldn’t perform as I do in the other. My art is influenced by my technical mind. My engineering results are better for the creativity I bring. Just like natural laws which seek equilibrium, a balance is reached.