Nurturing Your Inner Artist While at College

It’s the beginning of the Spring semester, and school responsibilities are already starting to pile up. Homework and club obligations, not to mention actual work, are on the scale as I try to balance time with my family and my social life. Amidst it all, I’m getting ready for conferences in the next few weeks, and trying to write more academic essays.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything that college throws at you. There’s so much to juggle, and sometimes things fall by the wayside and are forgotten. I know that’s how it has been for me in the past with not only my self care, but also with my art. 

Everyone has an inner artist that needs to be nurtured, and in the craziness of life that artist can be trampled on and forgotten. It takes conscious effort to save part of your mind and soul to pour into your art. 

Here’s a few tips for just that:

1. Identify What Your Artistic Passion is

Maybe you used to draw in high school, write poetry, or write fanfiction. Maybe you used to sing, play an instrument, or do musical theater. It doesn’t matter what form your creativity took. The first step in nurturing your inner artist is to identify what your artist desires to create, and then you can move into creation. Sometimes it’s multiple passions! Personally, I love to write, so my artistic focus lies in that.

2. Don’t Overdo It

This is critical. When identifying your artistic passion, it can be easy to realize that there’s a lot you want to do. In the busyness of college life, however, it can be more practical to choose one or two art forms a semester instead of splitting your time unevenly and hectically amongst three or more. It’s also important that you don’t burn out your inner artist. The point of nurturing the artist is to revive part of yourself, not to add another workload. 

3. Reserve Time for Creation

Next, once you’ve identified and narrowed down your art form, it’s time to take action. Make time in your schedule, whether early in the morning, in the evening before bed, or midday on a weekend, to indulge in your art and your creativity. It can be helpful to have a set time on your calendar dedicated to your art. 

4. Create!

And now, you’re ready to create! It can be hard to know how to begin, and most of the time you just have to start. With my poetry, if I have not written in a while, the words sometimes feel dry, silly, and embarrassing. However, I know that if I want to develop my art and truly write what I feel called to, then I have to push through the block and let the words flow. It will feel difficult at first, but the more you create, the easier it will become.

5. If You Don’t Know Where to Start or Need Inspiration, Try Something New

Lastly, if you truly don’t know where to start on your artistic journey, or you need new perspective or inspiration, try out something new!

Take some pottery classes, go to a flash fiction workshop, or join the improv club on your campus! The possibilities are endless, and you never know what will resonate with you until you try it out. 

• art
• balance
• college
• creativity
• mental health