My Experience with Art as a Calming Tool

Creating art hasn’t made too many appearances throughout the majority of my life. I would admire museum sculptures and my friends’ drawings, but I never really tried it out for myself. I don’t even think it’s because I didn’t like creating art, but rather just that I didn’t give myself a proper chance to try it; essentially, my time and energy went to other places, interests that had grappled onto my life from a young age and left little room for other things. Sure, in 8th grade I enjoyed the art wheel class, but what can a 6-week class in 6th grade really open your mind up to? Pretty much nothing from my experience considering I hardly remember anything from that class.

This indifference continued all the way through middle school until a fine evening during my freshman year began to foster my love for art. It’s funny because I don't even remember the circumstances that lead me to trying out a Bob Ross tutorial, but I do remember exactly which painting it was: Sunset Aglow. I had started it at someone’s house and remember feeling truly at ease (that also might have been because of Bob Ross’s voice). Brushing each color, watching the paints intricately mix and produce new shades, on the canvas made me forget everything else going on in my life. It allowed me to escape to a uniquely tranquil world unbounded by any limits. I didn’t even realize the hours upon hours spent creating a sub-par painting, but that didn’t even matter. I was proud of myself, I had an absolute ball of a time creating it, and it made me genuinely happy.

My newfound joy from creating art slowly blossomed as I bought my own supply of canvases and paints, following more tutorials and even trying out my own ideas. Painting and drawing became therapeutic for me, and I found myself doing at least some form of art, whether it was a simple sketch or a full-on painting. As school got more demanding with harder classes and more time commitments, art stayed consistent in my life and continued to give me solace with which I could seemingly silence the other stressors in my life. I even decided to take an art class to learn more about the nuances of introductory art; this not only fueled my desire to keep creating, but also introduced me to amazing people.

As a rising senior, art continues to be a driving force in my life, and ever since quarantine started, it has been key to maintaining my mental health. Since most of our normal social interactions and ways by which we take breaks from schoolwork, essays, and any other taxing factor in our lives, art acts as a sort of getaway in my life. I truly urge you all, even if you don’t think you’re an artistic person (trust me! I didn’t either!), to at least try out some basic art. Get some cheap paints and a canvas from Michaels and follow a Bob Ross tutorial, experiment with color, or even just try some sketching. I really believe a form of escape is necessary right now for so many teenagers, especially upperclassmen, and art can be that for you.