Routine is a good habit to get into. If you wake up knowing that you're going to do morning stretches, make a fresh batch of coffee, and get 10 minutes early to class, then you don't waste time sleeping in or wondering what to do.
But there's a point where that gets repetitive. I'm talking about that moment when you've done the same WebAssign problem over and over and you still don't get it, or when you memorize the life cycle of a mosquito in biology, or you re-read that one chapter in your history textbook. As a student, you're probably thinking, "Where's the time for creativity?"
After surveying my friends, I have found that although many want to be creative, none of them have time. All of the hobbies they used to enjoy have now become past times. Why? When did creativity and school become two separate things? Where did the dichotomy between succeeding in school and enjoying art arise?
If there's one thing I know, it's that drawing makes me feel good. It makes others feel good, too, and can bring people together. My friends would play "Exquisite Corpse" where a piece of paper is folded into thirds so that a person draws something on each side without being able to see the other two thirds. The result is a mix match of body parts that looks something like this. They would invite the whole floor to participate, which exposed each person's unique artistic style, and the odd-looking final products resulted a few good laughs.
But students are finding themselves too busy to express themselves through creativity. I find it depressing that we go from kids enjoying their kindergarten days of finger paints and coloring books to people who believe art and science can't go hand-in-hand.
Being an artist doesn't require you to drop all your belongings and live off of friends' couches. I can tell from my friends and myself that preventing yourself from doing artistic things only makes you unhappy, as if taking final exams wasn't enough. So find ways to be creative. Make things with your own hands. Draw alone in your room or together with friends. It can be an escape from class or a way to make new friends, and above all, a way to make college kids happier.
