Academics can suck it! Creativity is the highest form of intelligence.

The smartest humans are the ones you never hear from.

You need a bit of both. Apply your knowledge and be original.

I went to grade school in the 80's. Just about every old school teacher thought you were an utter failure if you could not do math or science. You could be an adequate writer who used words properly and that was good enough. Creativity in your stories never had your teachers thinking you were brilliant - at least back then.

I was an excellent artist/illustrator who who was average in math and science. I could also play the drums and a bass guitar by age 6. None of my peers could play an instrument to save their lives. Playing a recorder does not count.

Despite all this, my teachers treated me like a person who wouldn't have a lot of options after high school graduation. When I went to college and specialized in what was called "multimedia" I found my niche. Took business courses as well.

OK - jag off brag time... but I would say I'm the most successful individual in my elementary class and senior class. I also played a sport at the D-1 level, nobody else in my class could do that either. I've worked for several Fortune 500 companies and made it to upper level leadership due to my creative thinking and good social skills. I currently work at a FAANG. There are creative people who stink at math and science who have made great careers for themselves by being the Top 5% in their fields and maximizing their strengths. Too bad a lot of "teachers" don't feel creativity is valued.

I'd rather be where I'm at now than be a physician in the sleepy town I came from. Hats off to those who made it through medical school. But nobody has ever climbed to position I have made it to in my town.

all due respect to "but you can solve math creatively," it's a rare gift to come up with an unusual solution to an unsolved problem, or to manifest an unusually elegant proof for a more obvious problem. it is not the norm. most folks are incompetent with practical math and barely functional in a controlled classroom. many of those who can do math are drudges.

in terms of the broader discussion, the middle class wants to set their kids apart from the poor by educational degrees and competence in safe careerist fields. that gets you a stable job and back into a suburban house again with your new family.

but if you want your kid to be upper class, they need to be special. to come up with solutions and business ideas others can't. that actually does call for some degree of creativity or pursuit of unusual knowledge.

personally my suggestion is meld the 2 via double major. one for the practical job. one to grow the self.

the ability to dutifully churn out something per your training is inherently conservative and business death. and yet that is the middle class mantra. show up, follow orders, do your job. but what makes you competitive is being competent where you could do the work as expected, but being able to see different and better ways. if you are drilled too much in a "yes sir, no sir," follow orders, don't question authority, mold, you might help the thing go for a bit, but you are the reason the thing would sink under the water over time.

Good musical artists are insanely creative. They also for the most part bust their a** memorizing, practicing, developing skills. Creativity isn't a substitute for hard work it's layered on top.

It's OK if other people are smarter than you. Just accept it instead of trying these mental gymnastics.

Preach. I spent 20 minutes watching a professional session musician (bassist Mark Egan) do a bunch stuff I couldn't even comprehend. People wouldn't give a crap if Mark Egan was terrible at chemistry, but would be quick to label him an intelligent individual/genius based on what he's able to write/create/play.