Submitted by Saanvi from Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest, IL.
As the days went on throughout the school year, I’d find myself wishing for free time, perhaps just a few minutes to spark my creativity and revive what is not only my hobby, but my passion- art. Swamped by homework along with the constant stress and accompanying pressure of school itself, I rarely had time to talk to my friends let alone draw more than a mere doodle, or paint more than a few brushstrokes. Two weeks ago when school closed for the rest of the year, you’d think I would’ve jumped up and down, filled to the brim with joy; instead, I was a mess. Faced with the realization that I wouldn’t see my friends, favorite teachers, or even classmates for the next five months, I felt incredibly lonely and wanted nothing more than to be around the people who made me, me. When I realized that that wish could not be fulfilled, I entered a state of mental seclusion and lost any and all motivation I had reigned in throughout school. After a few days of lying in bed, sleeping at late hours, and waking up at even later hours I realized that the only thing that could even come close to taking me out of the rut, was art.
Moreover, since beginning Quarantine painting and drawing not only became an outlet for my recent anxiety and loneliness, but harnessed all my creativity which was previously left unused throughout the school year. As they say, school kills creativity, so isolation harnessed it. Each day, I drew and I painted until all my worries faced me on the paper in the form of graphite and acrylics filling the page. Though quarantine brought me sadness, it also brought me peace of mind. By pursuing your passions in this difficult time you can not only uplift your mood, but uplift your soul through things that continue to make you happy regardless of the people you’re surrounded by, or the lack thereof. Though this pandemic and the unfortunate effects created by it were not precedented, it is up to you whether you use this time alone to your advantage, or to your detriment.
Saanvi :)