Now, I know what some people may be thinking. Sometime, long ago, we all had to take art class in elementary school, and you might not have felt as artistically proficient as those around you. Or maybe you took art is middle school, and you were told by your teacher that some people just weren’t meant to be artists.

I’ll let you in on a secret, though.

Anyone and everyone can be an artist. There’s no such thing as “good” or “bad” art. There’s just art, and here are some reasons you should consider it as a hobby.

1. For one, scientifically, it can relieve stress.

We all have stress in our lives. For many of us, we're college students. We’ve all got papers and exams, and don’t even get me started on the most aggravating thing: group projects. It’s almost terrible enough to send a shiver down my spine, but art has actually been scientifically proven to be the perfect stress reliever (Source: "The Mental Health Benefits of Art are for Everyone") . When you’re doing your art of choice, it allows your mind to sort of calm and collect itself. You aren’t thinking about your next due date or what you have to accomplish. Instead you are focused on making something beautiful.

2. It helps the perfectionist within.

Hello, my name is Ariana, and I’m a perfectionist. I want everything to be in its place. I want all of my notes to be dated and make sense, and I’m not pleased with a test unless it is at least an A- or better. With art, though, you can throw away all perfectionist tendencies. What may have been viewed as a mistake actually adds something to the picture, and, as my mother always told me growing up, there are no true mistakes in art, only something more to give to your artwork.

3. There are so many varieties for you to choose from.

Now, my art of choice does tend to be a sketchbook and pencil, but that doesn’t have to be yours. There are so many mediums to choose from that it can be so easy to find the art that makes you happy. You could always try your hand at painting, or photography, or sculpting. And the greatest thing about all of these is, if you don’t like one, you can always move on to another until you find the art meant for you.

4. Art is a relatively inexpensive hobby.

I know it may not seem that way, but I promise it is. If you’re looking for this to simply be a hobby, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars like the professionals do. All you need to do is head on over to your nearest Michael’s or Joann’s to get started with whatever you need. Most things can be found pretty cheap, such as these paintbrushes that are only $4.99, or this sketchbook for $10.99. An added plus, if it’s photography that you want to try, most of us out there already have phones with cameras built in, so go be artistic you crazy kids.

5. Lastly, there’s nothing more amazing that having something beautiful you made yourself.

The truly great thing about art is that it is a part of you. Whether you choose to display it somewhere for everyone to see, you simply show some friends, or you keep your artwork all to yourself, it's a great way to express yourself and be creative. Many of us don't get the chance to be artistically creative in our normal day-to-day lives, and art is that new hobby that opens a new part of us.