Hello collegiettes™!
If you have an artistic soul like me, summer is a great time to let the artist in you come alive! Even if you’re taking summer classes, chances are you are not as busy during the summer as you are in the fall or spring, so why not take some of that free time to explore your artistic side?
Whether you’ve been doing art all your life or would like to try exploring art for the first time, here are some ideas of art forms you can explore this summer. (And no worries, you don’t even have to be a “real artist” to try them. It’s all about having fun and expressing yourself!)
1. Photography. One of the greatest things that I believe technological advances has brought us was easier access to photo cameras and with that, the art of photography. Most of us have cameras in our phones, and that’s a great place to start exploring the art of photography. This form of art has been my greatest passion lately, and honestly, it has been with my phone’s camera that I’ve taken some of my favorite artistic photographs.
Of course, most people see photography as a way of capturing and remembering moments, and of course it is that too. But photography is also a form of art, and you can explore that aspect of it beyond just capturing a moment. To explore this art, you can start by thinking of photographs as paintings. A good idea to get your creative juices flowing is looking at some paintings by famous artists.
Pick a category you like such as portrait, landscape or still life. Then choose one painting that caught your attention and try to take a photograph like it. The subject doesn’t even have to be same, but think about placement of objects or people, light and color. If you’ve ever taken an art class, know that all those elements of art count for photography too! I firmly believe you can make a work of art with your phone’s camera.
2. Abstract painting. If you feel like your painting skills wouldn’t give you the title of the female version of Dalí, a good idea would be to try abstract painting. No need to know how to make a straight line by hand or draw a perfect human face for that!
Even though painting is not my cup of tea, I sure do love getting a blank canvas and some watercolors and just having a lot of fun with it. Just pick some colors you like and let you hands paint over the canvas freely.
It might look like a mess at first, but as you work with the colors and random shapes and lines, something really cool can come alive. To me, abstract painting is all about letting your imagination run wild, without having to worry about following strict rules of art.
3. Writing. We all have something to say and write about. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a good writer, give words a try this summertime. Get a cute notebook, some colorful pens and write your heart out! Hand-writing can especially make the writing experience feel more real, personal and fun.
Try playing with poetry and short stories, for example. Or you can write about something that’s going on in the world right now – you know, like journalists do! All my life I’ve been writing – poems, short stories, etc., and though I’ve never published a book or became a famous writer, all those years of writing have led me to become a part of the Her Campus editorial team.
So I can tell you from my own experience that writing just for the pleasure of writing and expressing yourself can indeed lead to something bigger one day! Even if you never get your writing published, it is such a great feeling to let your thoughts and feelings out in writing.
Although learning techniques and natural talent is part of art, it’s not all there is to it. Art is about expressing yourself as much as it is about knowing rules. You may never make a living out of being a photographer, painter or writer, but art can always be a part of your life.
Art can be therapeutic and yes, lots of fun! Take some time this summer to explore your artistic side, and who knows, you may discover a real artist living inside of you right now just waiting for a chance to come alive.
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