From Physics to Painting: My work across STEAM
Thoughts of a Practising Artist with a Background in Science
Reading age: 15 years
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Intended audience: All
Author: Georgina Peach
Artist Georgina Peach running a lunar crater sculpting workshop with The MoSAIC
As a practising artist and scientist, I now work as a STEAM educator with The MoSAIC to support educators to bring science and art together in the classroom. Here, I detail my experience of being involved in these fields, what they have brought me and why I believe STEAM education is so important.
While studying Physics at the University of Bristol, I got to explore the mysteries of the universe: from quantum mechanics to car engines and black holes. I later completed a Master’s degree in Oceanography and worked in marine survey and software development for 6 years.
Then I pivoted to work in the creative industries, and I now work as a producer in the arts, as a practising visual artist and as a STEAM educator. I have created and performed in theatre shows, for the Edinburgh and Adelaide Fringe festivals. I worked as a Production Manager to famous artists, helping to create their works that sold for millions of pounds as well as working on my own paintings and sculptures to exhibit and sell.
Georgina Peach working in marine surveying
Many people think that sounds like a big change: from science to creative performance and painting, but to me they utilise similar skills. Both involve curiosity, playfulness and exploration to ask questions such as:
What if…?
How does this work?
What happens if I try it a different way?
My STEM education developed my skills in structured, critical thinking and in experimentation. This, coupled with my creative drive and curiosity, aided in my exploration of the arts. Critical thinking and problem solving lending themselves to my work as a producer, to plan and deliver festivals and theatre shows or to my creative process to complete a painting or a piece of music.
In my painting practice, I experiment in a similar way to when I was a scientist:
What if I mix sand into this paint?
How can I build a texture on my canvas to imitate light on water?
What emotions does this colour stir up?
Artist Georgina Peach experimenting with how to portray water on canvas
It uses the same thought processes as when I studied and worked in STEM; testing hypotheses but using brushes instead of computer models or lab experiments.
Physics taught me how to think logically, to think outside of the box and to explore ideas critically. Oceanography taught me to collaborate within a team and to solve difficult problems such as troubleshooting technical equipment while in a dangerous storm at sea. Coding taught me pattern-reading and to think outside of the box with curiosity and creativity.
Being an artist has taught me how to see the world in different ways and how to play with words, music, theatre and painting to express ideas. Products of artistic expression have the potential to change lives, alter beliefs and make people feel seen and heard. They have the ability to touch us deeply and to change how we think and feel when we look at a painting, listen to a song, read a book or watch a film or theatre show.
Georgina Peach taking to the stage
I feel very lucky that I have had the opportunity to experience these areas. They are both explorations of our world: scientifically, to understand how the world around us works and artistically, how the nature of the world and our relationship to it can be expressed.
Having the freedom to think creatively and to remain curious has helped me in immeasurable ways. I have travelled around the world, to Australia to collaborate with well-known artists and scientists; to work at sea and in theatre venues; to share interesting ideas with fascinating people and, most important of all, to enjoy my internal reality: to be playful and find joy in my own thoughts. This has been a great gift and is why STEAM education matters.
A Lesson for Educators
As a student, I worked hard and achieved well academically, but I often felt unsure of my direction. I wish I’d had more space to explore my identity and creativity alongside my scientific learning. That’s why the role of an educator is so powerful. A simple act such as a teacher recommending a book that expands a worldview, guiding a student toward something they’re naturally curious aboutcan change a life trajectory. It did for me. Many students, especially quiet or sensitive ones, may not yet know how to translate their interests into a path. They may excel in one area but feel pulled toward another. STEAM learning gives them permission to be many things at once.
What I Notice in Spaces that Embrace STEAM
When I support STEAM educators and run creative STEM sessions with The MoSAIC, I see the same transformation:
Students who are unsure take brave risks
“I’m not creative” quickly becomes curiosity and play
Concepts click more deeply when explored hands-on
Collaboration becomes more natural and joyful
Confidence grows rapidly when there isn’t just one right answer
Creativity doesn’t replace accuracy, it strengthens it. And accuracy doesn’t suppress imagination, it inspires it. As we know with brain plasticity, the more you practise something, the better you become at it and this is the case with inspiring young people to be curious, playful and to think outside the box. It will likely make them into more well-rounded people, living fulfilled, satisfying lives.
The World Needs Multi-Layered Thinkers
We are preparing young people for a world that values flexibility, empathy, imagination and technical skill in equal measure.
STEAM education develops:
Critical thinking•
Resilience
Communication skills
Problem-solving
Creative confidence
Emotional intelligence
These aren’t just “skills for the arts” or “skills for STEM careers.” They are skills for life, leadership, wellbeing, innovation and for community.
Albert Einstein once said: “The important thing is to never stop questioning.”
Whether I’m coding a software application or experimenting with a paint brush, that principle inspires me. The pursuit of curiosity has been my life’s compass and taken me on some wonderful journeys and experiences: from physics labs to theatre rehearsal rooms, from ocean research vessels to painting studios.
Workshop participants learning about craters on the Moon named after women in a lunar crater sculpting workshop with The MoSAIC
For educators, the question is:
How can we build classrooms where curiosity is actively encouraged?
That is the heart of STEAM. And it is how we help young people to become confident, expressive explorers of their world, in whatever path they eventually choose.
About the author:
Georgina Peach is a multidisciplinary creative producer, performer, and immersive experience maker who thrives at the intersection of creativity, organisation, and play. Today, her work spans producing for theatre companies, creating and leading immersive painting workshops, performing at festivals including the Edinburgh Fringe, and designing interactive installations and games for cultural and private events. Georgina also freelances as a workshop facilitator for The MoSAIC.