I know this might be cliché, but I truly believe many of us are storytellers, even if we never write or orate tales.

While we typically think of those in the humanities as society’s storytellers, I believe that scientists are as well. In fact, like historians are, I think scientists are some of our most important storytellers. They study the universe, all its vast and frightening nature, and then they shape their data into stories that the public can consume. Being able to take something as complex as neuroscience or astrophysics and paring it down into something for the masses to discover? That is real talent. It’s also so incredibly valuable. Where would we be without those who can look at all this data and find the thread of a story in them?

As I study psychology and statistics, my goal (and all psychologists’ goal) is to figure out the story of how humans work, what makes us tick. But psychologists can’t do this alone. Human behavior is influenced by our minds, biology, and environment. This means that studying the brain is not enough. We need the stories that biologists, historians, physicists, archaeologists, and neuroscientists (to name a few) have created in order to piece together the entire picture of human nature.

The elements needed to craft a compelling work of fiction are the same elements needed to discover the nature of our world: context/setting, motivation, characters, conflict, etc. This is why I firmly believe that the best scientists are also creative writers who can communicate their findings in a compelling and engaging way.

Fictional storytelling is also important, as it gives insight into human nature and the human experience. Music, sculpture, art, dance, poetry, literature? Those are all media humans use to tell their stories. The fields of psychology, social science, and history have a long history with creative works and their insights, and it baffles me how little our creatives are valued in modern Western society.

Aside from the joy and entertainment they bring, creatives are our unofficial historians in a sense – capturing the world as they experience it and sharing it with others. An objective retelling of history that professional historians (should) strive for is not complete without us being able to also learn the subjective feelings of the parties involved. Emotion is what brings history to life. I can tell you honestly that I would not remember as much history as I do without class lessons being supplemented with music, film, art, poetry, and photography.

Our world’s storytellers are some of our most critical people and we must cherish and nurture them. Support your local artists. Rally for the funding and sharing of scientific research. And, please, consume the stories that these people have made for us.