It’s typical for students to wrestle with their future while pursuing their desired degrees and careers — but sometimes the answer isn’t in textbooks, academic advising or a degree plan. Sometimes it’s found in creativity.
By working from a blank page of sheet music, an empty canvas or an absent stage, a person can discover what they are artistically capable of. Students feeling lost or worried about academic pursuits should take an art class to learn self-expression and discover an entrenched, intrinsic part of themselves.
Many are reluctant to take art classes. Some have never followed artistic pursuits and often see a lack of knowledge and experience as a barrier to entry. However, art isn’t just drawing and painting — it’s film, photography, theater, writing, cooking, reading and anything else that opens a creative door to self-expression.
Understanding how to use these tools of self-expression can help a student navigate personal change.
Elizabeth Davis is an assistant professor of theater in costume design at Chico State. As someone who grew up in a conservative household, she found a sense of home and belonging in theater. She believes that art is healing and a form of self-discovery.
“Being in the arts gets you in touch with your emotions and your passions,” she said. “It helps you find where you belong.”
A person in their early twenties may experience what’s called a quarter-life crisis — a stage in life where a person questions career direction, relationships and life choices.
In this period of confusion, a student can face depression, anxiety and a loss of hope. They may feel alone and enter a dark space they find difficult to escape.
Art isn’t going to solve all of your problems, but it can help create a sense of stability and community. Whether it is within an artistic niche or through potential opportunities for collaboration, you will inevitably find people with similar passions and goals.
Isaac Berglund, a freshman majoring in music education, switched his career focus three times before deciding that music was the right path.
However, Berglund didn’t decide to study music solely because of his enjoyment of the subject. He has played music since sixth grade and formed a connection with instrumentation. Instead of treating it like a hobby, he found it to be a way to voice his feelings without speaking.
It grew from finding a voice to finding a community that supported him — but that wasn’t just in his musical endeavors.
This support became important after the passing of his father. During his sophomore year in high school, Berglund was able to find a community and comfort within the musical arts that helped him get through what was a difficult time in his life.
“It was really hard, but I was in that community of music, and it gave me a way to get away from that problem,” Berglund said. “It gave me a way to vent without venting.”
Learning a form of art doesn’t just help navigate through existential confusion, but can also help battle depression. The arts are tools to express feelings that people may otherwise have difficulty processing.
Today, around 37% of college students experience moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression, according to Boston University, and the majority of those do not seek professional help. The avoidance of communication and expression can cause chronic depression. Without a way to release those feelings, it can only worsen.
Everyone should feel comfortable reaching out to mental health services on campus, but unfortunately. Creative expression can be a great tool to get people through difficult times. It can help develop a sense of control and belonging in a community that may feel the same way.
Some students don’t embrace forms of self-expression because they believe in an impractical standard of what art should be. But, it’s the mistakes and mess-ups along the way that show we’re learning.
Not being immediately good at playing music, sculpting or painting does not make someone a bad artist. Mistakes are going to be made in the process of creating something unique, and that is what makes it beautiful.
The social dynamics of masculinity are also a barrier to entry. Men are often hesitant to participate in artistic classes or hobbies because of gender norms.
Men can feel external pressure to engage in activities that appear to be more masculine. However, artistic expression can lead to a better understanding of how we would each like to embrace or refute societal norms.
Despite any potential circumstances, art is something everyone should feel welcome to participate in.
If taking an art class isn’t available for a student financially, Chico State offers many clubs students can join to step into the art world. This is a way students can become engaged with other students while finding a niche, free of cost.
Being in your 20s is a time to make mistakes and to explore and discover your purpose. Whether that is partaking in some form of art or merely appreciating it, art will help you navigate through the rest of your life.
So, pick a medium, find an instrument or open an open blank doc. Help yourself not only find your community, but who you are in the journey of life. Along the way, you may even find that art isn’t as difficult as you make it out to be.
Allisyn Shaw can be reached at [email protected].
