Art can be anything, from a well-decorated batch of cupcakes, all the way to something you painted on a maple leaf. Art depends on the person, and that’s fine! As an artist, I’ve made things from makeshift bookmarks to realistic ice cream sandwich cookies! Other people may enjoy creating art pieces that relate to their personalities! For example, one of my best friends made a painting in the transgender flag colors, since they’re currently transitioning! 

Art can also represent emotions and fears. If you’re in a good mood, you may draw a happy forest and meadow scene with flowing rivers and colorful skies. If you’re a person with depression, you may draw yourself as a sinking balloon surrounded by a bunch of floating and smiling balloons. 

During the start of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, I lost most of my friends due to the circumstances, and I started to lose a lot of inspiration. I cleaned my room and went through an old craft box. In it, was a small container of multi-colored clay. I cleared off my desk, and sat down, messing with the clay, pressing all of my frustrations into it. After a few hours, I walked away with what I thought was a masterpiece. Then I accidentally burned it in the oven. We don’t talk about that.

After weeks and months of creation, I finally started to rekindle an old passion. Over those long two years, I improved drastically. What started as something to kill time, turned into a hobby, and now is something that I do to get money. Now, I regularly go out to get more clay and more supplies, and making figurines is now like an addiction. 

Famous artists and regular artists go through blocks where they can’t find what to do, or what to make. An art block. But through other hobbies and passions, people can find inspiration anywhere! I’ve found inspiration even in the simplest things, like a bee landing on a flower for pollination. Plus, bees and freaking adorable. Bees can inspire anyone.

With those passions in mind, having a hobby like this can inspire massive things and creations! What started as two simple comics a friend and I made, are now being turned into a full novel! Inspiration can cause people to get in better spirits, a better mood, and better health! With those thoughts in mind, it’s always nice to have something to turn to when your spirits get low, you can have something to spill your words and emotions into. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s something I stand by to this day.

When it comes to music, it can also be a type of art that can be inspired by anything! Most songs that come on the radio are love-based, but if you venture out beyond typical radio music, you’ll find an avenue filled with different thoughts and opinions of people in the world. Some songs even explain why pretzels need to be cheese filled. Yes, those exist, and they’re wonderful because it’s true. 

Exploring those passions can also build a self-esteem boost, especially when you get love and support from those around you. Even if you’re new to TeenInk, you can still post your work, and people from all over the world will be willing to back you up and support you, no matter how new you are, or how bad you think your work is. What matters is that you found the courage to share your work!

With those same passions, it’s possible that your school would be willing to help you out! With the novel I’m writing, I have an entire plethora of teachers and students alike that are willing to help me get my book published. No matter how long it takes. I’ve found support from almost everyone that I’ve talked to, and that’s what I hope to get across to you, dear reader. I know this whole thing may sound cheesy, probably because it is, but just know, no matter what, you’ve got inspiration all around you, you just need to find the hobby to use that inspiration right.

Once again, art can be anything. Art can be something simple, or something complicated. Art can take mere minutes, or years to create. What matters is that you put something into it. You put a piece of yourself into that art, and that’s what makes it better. And finally, no matter what, never lose that spark that got you started. Never, ever, lose what makes you happy.