Empowered Through Art

Life is all about getting back up after stumbling. When the first international lockdown was ordered on March 24, 2020, everyone found it quite challenging to adapt. The theme at the time was one of uncertainty. Everyone had questions. Will this lockdown ever end? Will things ever go back to normal? Or, could this be the beginning of something worse? During trying times like this, it is easy to be discouraged. However, expressing oneself through art is an empowering pastime one can engage in to persevere through difficult times.

One can express themselves through art in coloring books, drawing, doodling on the back of old notebooks, and so much more. In the article "Self-Expression and Creativity: Managing Feelings," Nadia Sheikh states, hands-on activities relieve oneself from overthinking and places the mind in a peaceful condition. Anything that supplements the creativity of one's mind is a beautiful masterpiece. It does not have to be perfect. No one has to understand it, either. Whatever one feels is art, is art!

Kyra Liu, an aspiring artist in the 11th grade, took this extended time to strengthen her skills. Although Liu was initially worried about this pandemic affecting her daily life, she decided to ignore the noise and kept drawing the beauty of her existence. "Making art helped alleviate my stress during the pandemic because it's a creative outlet that has no rules bound to it. It allows you to regain a feeling of control in a weird time where we don't really have any because of the pandemic," Liu asserts gladly. Moreover, this pandemic inspired many to refine their passion. Liu adds, "once I started focusing on art, I became more relieved, calmed, and excited." Seeing her vision come to life boosts her confidence in becoming the best version of herself.

A portrait of a girl from Liu's imagination using black pastel.

Kyra Liu experiments with the digital medium of art in the occurrence of the pandemic.

Junior, Tyson Cabanilla Balanza, overcame idleness early on in the pandemic by drawing his favorite anime characters. Through the means of art, Cabanilla Balanza found joy in honing his skills. Cabanilla Balanza conveys, "drawing the anime characters I love gave me an outlet to release my stress, and it felt really nice to have something fun for me to do." Admittedly, Cabanilla Balanza doesn't consider himself an artiste. Still, he continues to draw his heart out because he believes in becoming a better person through expressing himself without the limitation of not being a Picasso.

An artwork representing Tyson Cabanilla Balanza overcoming the darkness; Proving that art is helpful in unraveling one's stress into an art piece.

Cabanilla Balanza emulates his favorite anime into a cartoon through his interpretation by using his skills earned from Japanese class to write in Hiragana.

Through this pandemic, art has been a universal means to attain sanity. Jedd Ann Linnette Gadia, a rising entrepreneur who created a business encompassing art, found tremendous inspiration from her exquisite element. Over the quarantine period, she created a graphics account on Instagram (@jedd.graphics), where she posts informative posters on COVID-19 Safety and tips on easing anxiety. Gadia also advocates for problems she believes in, such as the Black Lives Matter movement and Women Empowerment. She also designed portraits, illustrations, and sticker designs for her followers to purchase. At first, Gadia was worried about the turnabout of this pandemic. Luckily, she started using art as a form of therapy, "having the ability to see the beauty in everything with lots of patience." Unraveling her stress in swatching colors on her canvas, "art has made a temporary impact on [her] thinking, creativity, and deeper connections."

Jedd Ann Gadia sheds light on the Black Lives Matter Movement through the power of art.

Gadia creates a digital version of a fall-inspired snack platter in honor of her favorite season.

Being empowered through art is beyond indescribable. Design 1 and Ceramics teacher and Art Club mentor, Niccole Long, expresses herself through many embodiments of art. "I love and experiment within a wide spectrum of expression. I enjoy painting, sculpting, carving, weaving, printing, writing, dancing, and acting," Ms. Long says fondly. Her passion for art led her to more extraordinary achievements during the quarantine period, "being in quarantine provided me the opportunity to truly focus my thoughts through writing. I wrote the novel I have been trying to write for years, but couldn't sit still long enough to complete." At the beginning of the pandemic, she found uncertainty while in Argentina, where it was on military lockdown. Although "[i]f [she] had known we would all be remote for as long as we have been, [she] would have gladly stayed in Buenos Aires." Despite the difficulties of being in quarantine, she found empowerment by creating art where she found truth in every moment—reminding her that there is always an unexpected element in constructing her craft. She finds it much more fulfilling than her original intent.

In times of catastrophe, people have created escape; Many of whom found tranquility. "Science tells us that completing a task can release dopamine, thereby making us feel a little better," Ms. Long mentions.

Niccole Long creates an oil painting of a beautiful landscape.

A charming masterpiece painted in open air by Niccole Long.

Art is truly an extensive form of empowerment. It can liberate the subconscious mind, which leads to an appreciation of the present moment. Accordingly, the rise of every morning is a blank canvas. Creators have the power to make it as beautiful as they want. To many, associating with activities such as painting, dancing, drawing, doodling, writing, and so much more has enabled them to be their most authentic selves and release their fears and anxieties.