I’m pretty sure all of us have at least one childhood memory of running around in paint-covered Pull-Ups after an afternoon of art-making. It’s just an accepted part of life that children should be creative; they should be given the chance to be messy and play with paint. It doesn't matter what they create, it just matters that they are creating.

Yet, as we get older, art classes disappear from our schedules, and art stops being a way to express ourselves and starts being an impractical practice. For those of us crazy enough to pursue art into our adult lives, we are often seen as deluded. For those who give up art in favor of a more “sensible” focus, their decision is seen as responsible.

So why is this? Why are we no longer encouraged to be creative and weird and messy as adults? Why is creativity something only children are encouraged to explore? If anything, adults need it more than children, to take away from the constant pressures of “the real world”.

Creating is without a doubt the best thing we do. It fuels progress and gives us a sense of self. Even if you can’t even manage to draw a stick-figure, you can still be an artist. That’s the wonderful thing about art, it can be for the world, or it can be just for you.

As an art student, I have the advantage of a hint of natural talent and a ton of courses aiding in my art-making abilities, and though I do love my ability to produce anatomically correct representations of the human form, my favorite piece to date consists of globs of paint smeared across paper in a chaotic and nonsensical manner. It’s nothing special to look at, and it has nothing to do with “the rules” of art, but it was so much fun to make. Every time I see it I remember the freedom of tossing brilliant colors onto a canvas and just seeing what happened, no matter the mess or the outcome.

Therefore, I refuse to ever stop running around in clothes covered in paint, despite my being a responsible and capable adult. Yes, I recognize that I will probably fall back on my "practical" studies more than art in the career world, and yes, I understand that working solely as a fine artist today would probably result in my living on the streets, but that doesn't mean I will ever give up making art. Art provides a window to childhood, where everything is fresh, new, and fun. It gives us the opportunity to let go, let out the pent up frustration, excitement, childishness, or just the nagging need to make a mess. Art is just fun, and that’s all the reason we need to take part in it.