Hannah Im | Discussion Post #12
Many think a so-called “useful” degree, like business or STEM, opens the most doors. After listening to “Take a ‘Big Picture’ Approach to Business,” however, my perspective on this changed. I specifically chose this episode because I am looking to combine a business and art history degree during my time at Emory. Jason Morales, the podcast guest, discusses how much of business is relationship management. In my business communication classes, identifying the correct audience and communicating an idea to said audience is important. An education in humanities supplements this. Morales also argues that humanities paths provide opportunities in different industries, jobs, and fields. Traditionally, people stayed at the same company for their entire professional lives. Now, people make career pivots often. Having an education in humanities enables one to learn swiftly and navigate challenges. This was especially evident in my art history classes at Emory.
Through visual analyses in Art History 101, 102, and 259, I learned how to translate what I see and think into something others can understand. I encounter difficulty stripping my observations down to something intelligible and coherent. For example, breaking an elaborate and complex painting into its most simple colors and composition is difficult. Boiling down a complex idea is necessary both in art history and business. Conducting visual analyses of different art objects allowed me to improve this skill. Because much of business is about relationships and communication, visual analyses of art objects unexpectedly help. Business and the humanities overlap greatly, and a holistic education is needed to keep one’s options open.