Making Time For Art

By: Nivedita Nambrath

At BTHS, students’ lives are intrinsically centered around the sciences. In between schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and other obligations, creating art often seems like a frivolous and frankly useless thing to do with the already limited time we have. But, as numerous studies confirm, the benefits of art are numerous and diverse in nature, and some amount of artistic activity is essential for a full and rounded life. It shouldn’t matter how skilled an artist you think you currently are -- you can still reap the benefits of doing art. Art relieves stress, encourages creative and innovative thinking, improves self-esteem, increases brain plasticity, and increases the ability to empathize. It should also be noted that while science and art are often presented as opposites or complements of each other, they are oftentimes actually one and the same. Countless great scientists were also musicians, linguists, poets, writers, painters, and more. Similarly, countless artists have also been inventors, engineers, biologists, etc. Creativity is a vital component of science, just as analysis is a vital component of art. So while it certainly can be difficult, it is important to make time for art in our everyday life. Here are some small ways in which you can do so.

Pick up an instrument
- The ukulele is a very popular instrument among young adults, because it is supposedly one of the easiest instruments to learn (excluding the recorder). With a bit of practice and a few YouTube videos, you’ll be able to strum the chords to your favorite songs, and jam out with your friends. Other simple and affordable instruments that you can try to learn are the guitar, drums, kazoo, flute, harmonica, or keyboard. You can also always try to learn to sing. With the internet at your disposal, you can really learn anything you want.
- Practicing your instrument for even ten minutes a day can provide a refreshing and enjoyable break from your usual routine.

Improve your drawing skills
- With the vast and diverse community of artists sharing their work and expertise on the internet, there is no shortage of drawing tutorials and resources for an amateur artist. Pick something to draw (cartoons, people, plants, architecture, animals, fruits in a bowl, etc.) and get to work. A simple search of “flower drawing tutorial” on Google can yield so many results. All you need is a pencil and piece of paper. With practice, it can become a useful skill.
- If you don’t want to draw, there are still many fun ways in which you can make visual art. You can do things like finger painting or using a coloring book as well.

Write
- We do so much analytical writing as a part of our academics that we often lose touch with the ability to write stories and poems, which do not require such concise and analytical language. The ability to communicate and paint vivid pictures using only words is a highly valuable skill, but it only comes through practice. So, think of something to write (it can be anything -- a journal entry, a fantasy story, a play, a murder mystery, a cynical discourse on the hardships of life, a poem, etc.) and write it. Just have fun.

Photography
- Phone cameras nowadays are far more sophisticated than they used to be, and are capable of capturing very high quality images. The internet is a form of media in which digital imagery plays an integral part. So, there are plenty of sources of inspiration for photography on the internet. Many photo-editing apps exist on the market as well, most of them free, so there are sufficient means available to take interesting and high-quality photographs using just your phone. Photography is simple, and can help you see the world around you in a whole new light, while being lots of fun.
- Try taking photos of your friends and family, the nature outside, or whatever it is that catches your eye.

Baking and Cooking
- While not conventionally considered “art forms”, cooking and baking utilize the same faculties of creativity and empathy as other art forms. If you try deviating from a recipe and imagining what it might taste like with other ingredients thrown in, you are harnessing a more artistic aspect of thinking. Baking and cooking are very practical, as you can eat what you make, and share what you made with other people as well. Making something to eat is always a very fulfilling activity - both for your mind, and for your stomach.
- Even if you stick to every word of a recipe, you are still practicing art by creating something.

Devoting yourself to an art form can be what gets you through the most stressful periods of life in highschool, and it can be something that produces the most genuine enjoyment and satisfaction. In the routine monotony of everyday life, art is essential as a means of sparking passion, empathy, and joy.