29 January 2019
Abby Jadali
Every person has some sort of stress in their life, whether that be from school workloads, job responsibilities, friendships and many other common stressors.
Despite this commonality, many students lack a creative outlet that they can use to conquer the stress they feel.
Every college aged student, no matter their interests or major, should find and use a creative outlet to help improve their mental health. A creative outlet can be anything from drawing, painting, writing, singing/songwriting, playing a musical instrument or ceramics: anything that helps in achieving the use of the right side of the brain to take the stress that you feel and put it into a physical object.
In an article titled “The Importance of Having a Creative Outlet,” written by The Odyssey Online, states that “in all its forms, creative expression is a unique human experience, and to take part is healthy and fulfilling, regardless of — and especially because of — your background or level of expertise.”
Although creative outlets are mainly known for helping control and alleviate stress, they can also aid in the decrease of anger, sadness and confusion, and the increase of happiness. It is a perfect tool to help with whatever emotion you are feeling.
Having a creative outlet allows the brain to work in ways that it can’t when it is thinking critically. This allows our brains to take all of the emotions and ways that we feel and transform them into real, physical objects.
Some students may worry that using a creative outlet seems impossible and pointless if they are not an expert in it. However, it has been proven time and time again that someone needs to be an expert in something to allow it to be a way of expressing their emotions.
Those who are interested in art can try drawing; getting some paint and throwing colors onto a canvas of your choosing, or practicing anything enjoyable that doesn’t increase stress can help with coping and expression.
For individuals less interested in art, try writing a short story, poem or song lyrics, or belt out song based around feelings.
College students often spend a lot of time worrying about classes and grades, so any chosen outlet to relieve this is sure to help express those emotions in a healthy manor.