Newly published research in the American Behavioral Scientist looks at how arts alumni understand the role of their creative skills in the workplace. Arts educators often tout the value of artistic skills in a professional environment. But how do students interpret the role of those skills once they find a job?

The study find “that people with similar training interpret the relationship between their creativity and their work differently.” In other words, students who studied similar artistic practices may not have the same interpretation of how that skillset transfers into their non-artistic career. The authors “postulate that variations in creative identity may be one compelling explanation for these differences, which are not attributable solely to job type or to workplace context.”

You can access the full journal article here.