About halfway through high school, I switched schools from my small Canadian private school that I had attended for seven years, to an enormous American public school. The students in my grade increased five-fold, the culture shock was surprising, and my psyche was a bit overwhelmed, to say the least. I began to doodle, then I doodled more, and more until I came to notice my fellow classmates often peeking over my shoulder, standing and watching as swirls and patterns began to sweep over the page.

I became known as someone who was always drawing - silly, ink drawings, but ones that evolved and improved over time. Little did I know that it was the beginning of a lifestyle, a constant grounding element of my life that I couldn’t imagine having lived previously without. From ink, I turned to painting, both watercolor and acrylic, and then moved onto ceramics, collage, home decor, poetry, everything I could fathom being an outlet. I’m not very musically inclined, but I hear a similar sentiment of relief, comfort and reassurance when musicians describe playing.

The act of creating is often compared to meditation and has been proven to have impressive health benefits, both physically and psychologically. It releases endorphins, allows your mind to focus peacefully, and removes you from the intense reality of everyday life. Almost like a mental vacation, art has the ability to transport you to a state of being that is not nearly as prioritized as it should be. We all say that we need a vacation, and we save up to travel, but what about just a vacation for our brains?

Of course travel is vital in many ways, but a brain vacation is cheaper, more accessible, and has more frequent opportunities. Plus, you don’t have to request time off of work, or deal with airplane food. So I challenge anyone who has read this to not underestimate the power of creation. Pick up your guitar, pick up a pencil. Glue something to something else, anything, I don’t care, just make something. Then look at it, and think about how you feel. It is interesting to realize that in a way, you are looking at a part of yourself that is now external. Glue something else to it, then paint on top. Who knows what will happen?

Start making fruit art, or perhaps carving candles. I know a big excuse is that “I don’t have enough time,” but I think you’d be surprised at how the world seems to stop when you get in the zone, and how little a grip the concept of time really has on you. It’s really worth a try, and it prompts us to become individual thinkers when we stop being distracted by all of the media and opinions around us. Most importantly, put down your phone - it tends to get in the way of most aspects of life, especially immersing oneself in art.