Does art affect your life?
This is a question that came to me while looking at a couple of my friends draw. I was particularly watching the way sophomore Esteban B. moved his hands with skill as if drawing was part of him. So I asked him, “Does art affect your life?” For a while, he stayed quiet focusing on his drawing and collecting his thoughts for a complete answer. After a brief pause he looked up and said “Yes it does. It gives me a way to express myself on paper.”

Art isn’t only through drawings and paintings. It’s also through music and acting. Any kind of entertainment is art. I continued to interview Esteban to see if only drawing affects his life. He commented, “[Music] can help with concentrating on homework and studying.” I’ve met many people who use classical music as a way to help focus on studying, and I recommend that if you’re having trouble focusing, try this method. Play some relaxing music and try studying.

I interviewed sophomore Pablo B. to see how he feels about art. Pablo agreed that music was an important aspect of his day: “Music is my favorite type because if you’re having a bad day, at school for instance, you can take out your iPod and listen to your favorite song. Music has the power to make or break your day.”

Art and music can definitely serve as a stress reliever. I know you might be thinking, “What if I’m not good at drawing, singing, or playing an instrument?” It doesn’t matter if you’re “good” or not because art is all about expressing yourself. It’s a way to evoke your emotions in a healthy way. Everyone has a different style of things and sometimes, as Norman Percevel Rockwell once stated, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

Many students may overlook the importance of art. They might think of drawing as a waste of time, so I attempted to find the effects that drawing can have on my daily life. I began drawing on a regular basis. It didn’t matter how the drawing came out; all I cared about was the impact the piece had on me. The effects of drawing were almost immediate; I became more patient and less stressed. I recommend that any HMSA student struggling to cope with stress or unable to focus no matter how hard he or she tried to  set some time (even 10-15 minutes) aside every once in a while to express their emotions by drawing, painting, singing, etc.

Essentially, art can have a strong impact on one’s study habits.