Do! Some! Art!
If you’ve ever taken Mr. Megurian’s AP Art History class, you might remember the first discussion your class had. If you don’t remember, or won’t be taking his class in the near future because he’s retiring (thank you for your service!), you’re in luck: I do remember, and I’m going to tell you.
Here it is: we discussed what constituted art. And we came to the conclusion that art is basically just an expression of self, from your greatest feelings to your seemingly small and insignificant ones. Or something like that. Look, it was the beginning of the year, and I’m a second-semester senior. I still fact-checked though—my class agrees it was along those lines. Art gets to be whatever you want it to be, and I’m defining it for this article right now to avoid confusion: it’s a positive creation.
So, we’re still in quarantine. We’re social distancing and stuck at home with ourselves, maybe some family members, pets, your plants, and some craft supplies. The craft supplies are the important things here. You definitely have at least one or two of these things in your home. If you’re up for it, have at it!
Cooking counts as art. Make that recipe that you’ve been thinking about or find a new one. Yummly will let you search up recipes based on all the random ingredients in your house. I tried it using cream cheese and frozen blueberries because I had an obscene amount of both, and I ended up making a wonderful blueberry cake.
You know what else counts as art? Painting anything. Paint some rocks. Paint your wall (with proper ventilation). Paint a book cover or a folder cover. If you’re out of paints, fear not. There’s some pretty cool ideas for painting with crayons out there, and you can make it as complicated or as easy as you want. Also, did you know you can make your own watercolors? There are so many possibilities!
Of course, you could also do something with fabric. Learn how to sew! Trust me—it’s just as important as knowing how to use your washing machine. Or, if you’re looking for something a little more challenging, try embroidery. Embroider some clothes! You could hop on the trend of lightening only one of your pant legs, or you could try to distress some of your jeans. If you have a sewing machine, I highly recommend making masks for medical staff. The Library of the Chathams will actually give you the materials to make them! All you need is a sewing machine or a very, very steady hand, a good needle, and patience.
Body art is totally art. It’s in the name, duh! If you want to, dye your hair! Give yourself bangs or a haircut! Go all the way and shave your head! Art! Go outside! Plant some seeds! Bury a tomato or piece of garlic and see what happens. Make a flower crown. Arrange some leaves or see how many rocks you can stack. Landscape architecture. Do a hardware project like repainting a desk or sanding one down! Write a short story! Write an article for the CHS Chronicle! Write a song! Make us memes!
At this point, I’m definitely legally obligated to say that Chatham High School and the CHS Chronicle DO NOT support doing ANY of these crafts without the proper safety equipment and research beforehand. Always follow proper safety guidelines when handling chemicals, food, flames, and machinery. If you are a minor, seek parental or guardian consent when operating machinery like ovens or open flames. Don’t eat raw cookie dough. DO NOT leave your house to buy these craft supplies.
Anyway, this is a sign. Go make some art! Art it up! If we’re lucky, we will never have this much free time again. Connect with your feelings. Make some art.