If you are anything like me, you probably think from time to time, “I have been in school way too long.” At 23 years old and in my senior year at university, I find myself quite anxious to get out these days. I want to see the world, travel, create, fall in love, find my purpose, partake in things that school cannot immediately offer. While I love learning and have become quite academically inclined, I am starting to feel the “student burnout.” Throughout the year, I have missed being able to explore my creative outlets as freely as I would be able to if I were still at home. Still, it is a necessary sacrifice as I have worked to pursue an education. I know full well how much my time at college will pay off but in the midst of this time, I truly long for the beauty of creativity.
Prior to my higher education experience, I was just a girl going to community college, writing poetry and acting in my spare time. Despite my family being so small, we are very “loud” when it comes to music and other arts. I grew up singing, dancing, acting, and writing, there was even a time when theater was all I wanted to do. Needless to say, God had different plans as He directed me to pursue my Communication Studies degree at Biola University. It has been an amazing experience and I am thankful for every minute of the experience as I have grown immensely. However, I have had to put things such as singing on a slight hold. I am thankful to have been able to do a few theater productions while here, but I have not been able to fully immerse myself because of my studies.
Every time I listen to a beautiful song by an artist or read a magnificent piece of writing, I feel a pull, a need to create something. As someone who is both creative and intellectual, I find myself having to make sacrifices on both sides. On one hand, creative inspiration will not always be around 24/7. On the other, I know that if I become too immersed in creating something, I will become sidetracked from what I need to do for school. Therefore, I must often decide: “do I want to make music or study for this test I have been worried about for a week?” While it is difficult, I usually pick my studies first. Why? Because school is what I am doing now. It is what I must do in order to have a successful future, stability. It is what I have wanted all my life, so I should not waste the opportunity. School is temporary and there will be plenty of opportunities for me to fully explore my artistry once again after I graduate. Besides, my education actually helped me to improve some of my creative abilities! It is my firm belief that knowledge is the foundation of creativity and one cannot exist without the other.
That said, I ask you, my fellow students, are you an artist at heart like me?
