Mack Benge, Staff Writer
Are you stressed? Are finals kicking you while you’re down? Have you thought about
taking a break and doodling for a while? I know with a student’s busy schedule, art can
seem like something to hold off on, but it is important to take breaks. Drawing, painting,
dancing, playing an instrument, sculpting, jewelry making, taking photos, making a new
outfit, doing anything creative can help bring relief to your life full of chaos.
I, Mack Benge, am a writer and illustrator for the Belltower. I make comics that are
displayed on the Belltower’s “The Mural” page. I would consider myself an artist. So I
know a thing or two about art as self care. I am constantly doodling. I doodle in class, on
sticky notes, in the margins. It is a way to comfort myself. It’s one of the ways to relieve
stress. I am a double major and a senior in college, so life can get hectic really easily.
It’s important to remember to slow down and live in the moment. Create something! Art
is an act of self care.
Creativity can make us feel good about ourselves. It is a confidence booster. A
consistent practice of art can build a sense of accomplishment. Just take 20 minutes, sit
down with some markers and paper and doodle away. It doesn’t have to end up being a
masterpiece that is going to be displayed in a museum. It can be something as simple
as a scene with a cat, on a farm, with the sun in the corner of the page. You don’t even
have to like the end result. Simply the act of creating can make one feel better about
Themselves.
Even performance arts can help! If you aren’t into drawing, try dancing! Play your
favorite upbeat song and dance by yourself in the living room. Dance like nobody’s
watching! Or get a group of friends together and play charades. Expressive art will lead
to laughter which helps decrease anxiety, depression, and stress. Performance arts can
be fun too.
One of the things I like to do is paint. I can paint with friends or by myself. I like to make
what I like to call line paintings. It’s where I get a canvas, draw a still life on the canvas
but then I don’t paint it like one. I get a whole rainbow of colors and outline the whole
painting. Then I fill in the gaps one line at a time. It takes a long time, but it’s a really fun
way to be creative. The picture below is one of those line paintings that I have created
when I was feeling stressed. What do you see between the lines?
It is critical to take time to yourself. You might as well create something during that time.
Some people tend to say, “I have no motivation,” or, “I have no inspiration to paint.” A
great way to find some inspiration is to look at Pintrest! Go ahead and make an account
and start saving some photos that inspire you. I know my Pinterest boards are filled to
the brim with intriguing photos. Another way to get inspired is to go on a walk in nature.
While you are outside, take some photos. Here in Washington there are so many
different kinds of flowers, trees, bugs, animals. There are so many inspiring things
outside that you can come back and try to draw. That is what I liked to do as a kid. It’s
always nice going back to your roots.
The Belltower 