After a long week of school, junior Aleena Bosky bikes to the park with her friend, junior Amberlyn Edens, so they can paint together. While Bosky drew a scene from her favorite show, Eden painted flowers, both in watercolor.

“It’s quite a simple activity, but sharing that experience with someone is so powerful and can make you feel connected again, almost like the whole pandemic doesn’t exist,” Bosky said.

School also affects artists’ desire and ability to create. According to sophomore Naomi Wiesen, her many homework assignments meant she often would not have time to create artwork afterwards.

“I’d go into waves of forgetting about art, remembering, but not having much motivation to create anything due to lack of idea,” Weisen said. “I’d hate myself for not trying harder or not practicing consistently, and that pressure on myself would ultimately be the biggest dampener for me.”

The pandemic, however, gave people like junior Alythalia Garcia more time to express her creativity through different mediums such as watercolors, acrylic and oil paints.

“I have more time to really get into whatever I’m doing and to create something beautiful. COVID had been hard for a lot of people,” Garcia said. “My mental health has been very challenging to deal with, so my art has been a lot more deep and heart to heart. Almost like you feel how I’m feeling.”

Sophomore Clara Caldwell agrees and feels they gained more time to watercolor during the pandemic.

“My art style has definitely changed over time, and I’ve learned to draw and write to express my emotions more, and I’ve definitely been doing much more art than I had done before,” Caldwell said. 

Similarly, Bosky’s passion and hobby is creating art, and her motivation can stem from many different things.

“Sometimes it’s because I’m trying to send a message. Other times, it’s because my favorite TV show or movie inspired me to make some original characters, or draw fanart,” Bosky said. “Most of the time, it’s just a way to relieve stress and have fun.”

Garcia’s motivation to create can depend on her mood. Sometimes she will go weeks without painting anything, but she ultimately finds ways to get inspired.

“Things that help me get into an art mood is listening to new music and expressing how it makes me feel.” Garcia said. 

Weisen suggests that people who are having difficulty finding inspiration just start drawing something to get their motivation back.

“Draw the most random thing you can think of, or just scribble your way into funky shapes,” Weisen said. “Taking that first step into doing can often be the small push you need to get out of that rut.”