Now that we are spending more time at home, developing a hobby to fill that time with something besides homework and Netflix is a good idea. An amazing option that is available to everyone is developing an art hobby. Everyone has emotions, and art is the gateway to expressing them. Considering the circumstances, you may be feeling trapped within your emotions and may have no outlet of expression. Luckily, we have a few tips, a few ideas, and a great online art program to help you express yourself through art. 

Mrs. Marge, the creator of the “Mavericks make Art” movement, has helped Montrose come together with a common passion for art. The program allows for a freedom of expression that we all need during this time of isolation and loneliness. With any medium from photography to egg painting, the “Mavericks make Art” program is a place to get away from the screen and let out some of that unexpressed creativity and emotion.

Ms. Chiodini, beloved Literature, History, and Latin teacher, has been dealing with the problem of not knowing what to do with her bursts of creativity. For her, art has helped her balance her life. With all the classes she teaches and with the stress she is going through with her decision concerning law school, she finds time to make art in order to preserve her mental health and peace of mind. For her, art is a mechanism of stress relief. She says: “I have been focusing mostly on drawing and playing guitar. I’ve been making decisions about law schools, and that was a way for me to deal with what I was thinking about.” She went on to explain how in-between classes she simply picks up the guitar for a few minutes and returns to work with a clearer mind. Expression through art is essential to human nature; it keeps us grounded and sane, which is just what we need in quarantine. Ms. Chiodini says: “Art transcends culture and time. There is something about art that is fundamental to human beings.” 

Art can be intimidating, especially with all the talent you can view on the internet these days, but do not worry, you do not need to be a Renoir to express yourself. Ms. Chiodini says: “There is an art form for everyone. There is music, creative writing, poetry, drawing, painting, photography, collaging…” She also mentions some non traditional art forms, “Weaving, knitting, making jewelry, cosmetics, nail art…” She says to just try an art and find one that really interests you.

Many of your classmates are picking up artistic hobbies as well. Because of the amount of free time and boredom that came with the coronavirus, students have started doing things for fun or something they’ve always wanted to do. For example, Carrie Miklus’24 began playing ukulele and bullet journaling. She said, “My sister gave me her old ukulele, and I used to play a little, but I picked it up again because I was cleaning my room (out of boredom haha), and it’s really really fun! I’ve always loved bullet journaling, but quarantine has let me be more creative and spend more time on it”. Amira Akar’21 is journaling and baking her way through quarantine. She said, “boredom, and wanting to make use of my time instead of sitting on my phone” inspired her to start her new hobbies. On the other hand, Catherine Olohan’22 is playing the piano. She said, “I have known how to play the piano for a while, and have the first page of a bunch of songs memorized. I decided to take the extra time I have to finish learning all those songs”.

Neha and Elyza (the writers of this article) also are doing artistic hobbies during quarantine. Neha, who even before quarantine painted in her free time, found more time to express herself through more forms of art. She began writing poetry at the beginning of the year, but during quarantine she had more time to write, allowing her to truly find herself in her poetry. She also tried out new styles of art, such as character art and realistic drawing. Elyza has had a similar experience exploring her art. As a person who finds identification in her music, she has expanded her ability in various instruments and has even written a few songs. In addition to music, she’s also found therapy in writing quotes in calligraphy. She looks forward to dabbling in other forms of art in the future, especially photography.

It’s great being able to express yourself in different ways, and art helps with that. There are so many different types of art, be it painting, drawing, poetry, music, singing, playing an instrument, baking, or cooking. So, even if you are not the best at painting or singing, try something new like photography or creating a film. You can do anything if you put your mind to it! So go! Give something a try!

Elyza Tuan ’23, Clubs and Classes Editor and Neha Sunkara ’21, Faith Editor 

23etuan@montroseschool.org, 21nsunkara@montroseschool.org