College can be an incredibly productive time of your life, but because of the multitude of events, assignments, and overall business, it can be very hard to keep up with creative pursuits outside of school.
And yet, creativity is crucial element to mental stimulation and overall happiness. NPR reports that being creative can help you to focus, brighten your outlook and can help you to process emotions. Being artistic also triggers the reward center of our brain, creating a sense of pride and excitement when we are creative.
With these benefits, especially as we near finals, it seems that creativity should be a priority in the life of a student, but that is quite hard to implement practically when there is so much else being demanded of them.
So how can a student work in time and effort to be creative?
Well, start small.
Carve out 15 minutes a day for creative hobbies.
How do you enjoy being creative? Writing? Drawing? Painting? Knitting? Singing? Improvised dance?
Write a letter and decorate it with doodles. Read a poem, and sketch out an image from it. Paint a picture in small bits and finish it over the course of a week. Crochet as you watch a show to unwind at the end of the day. Dance ridiculously in the morning to start your day.
Can you make a gift instead of buying it?
Instead of hopping over to Walmart the next time there’s a birthday party or some other celebration, can you make something? Devoting the time to creating something for them will speak volumes to the recipient and give you an emotional boost at the same time. Do they enjoy reading? Paint them a bookmark! Knit them a hair band, write them a ballad or an ode (bonus points if you perform it too!), or sketch them a scene of their favorite spot on campus.
All of these are great gift ideas, and show that you really know the person you are giving them to.
Spin an assignment.
Maybe you have five papers due by the end of the year. Can you make any of them more fun? Pick a subject you have passion for, pick a topic with room for flexibility and creativity! Work with your professor to come up with engaging ideas.
If you have an idea that doesn’t strictly follow the technical rules of the assignment but adheres to the heart of it, ask your professor if you can do that instead. They might just say yes!
