Midterms are Over; Try a Creative Hobby

By: Aaliyah Sanchez

Now that we’re finished with midterms, it’s finally time to unwind! A way to loosen is to take up a creative hobby. Creativity has no rules, it allows us to freely express and decompress ourselves. Being creative is an amazing way to alleviate ourselves after the past couple of stress-filled weeks. Below is a compiled list of hobbies to try to relax your mind: 

• Photography: You can start by taking a photo of an object that seems unimportant. Try changing your perspective of it, change its position, or play around with angels and take lighting into account. Is there a specific type of lighting you would like to capture? Will the perspective change if the lighting is changed? What shadows is the object making, or what shadows can you make with it? Slowly challenge yourself and experiment with different objects or scenery. Have fun with it!

  
  

• Painting: Whether you would like to express your deepest sorrows, your greatest joys, or just to have fun, painting can be a great outlet. You can start with something simple and gradually move on to something more challenging. Be mindful of what mediums you decide to use, like oil pastels and watercolors. Each one can leave behind a different texture and effect. Remember that creativity has no rules, don’t feel limited. Experiment!

• Journaling: If you’re someone who prefers to express themselves more verbally, journaling may be helpful. There are many different types of journaling. Whether you would like to write freely or only focus on a certain aspect, there are many different types of journaling, like gratitude journaling, daily journaling, and bullet journaling. Pick your favorite! 

• Creative Writing: Writing creatively without any academic limits can be something to try. From poems to short stories, to screenwriting, the options are endless. Don’t be afraid of trying out different genres. You can look up writing prompts online to get your creativity going!

• Baking: With the holiday season approaching, now is the perfect time to try baking. Start with experimenting with seasonal flavors, like pumpkin, peppermint, and gingerbread. Slowly challenge yourself to different types of baking, like pastries. Don’t be afraid to mess up, it’s all trial and error!

• Crochet: There are many tutorials on youtube where you can start from. Be advised to start with something small and easy as crochet consists of many different techniques. Start by learning the basics, like the different stitches and how to make chains, from there, you can pretty much do anything. Slowly build your way to more complicated projects, like bags and blankets. As hard as something may seem, don’t give up! 

  
  

It’s important to decompress after something mentally taxing. It’s imperative to take care of your mental health, if you don’t, it could lead to negative outcomes. Remind yourself to take a small break if you feel stressed out, it’s okay to take one. Hopefully, you’ll try at least one activity on this list and let your creativity run free. Who knows, you might find a hidden talent. 

Some exmaples of how to destress after midterm season. Photo Credit: Aaliyah Sanchez