Online hobbies

When people have hobbies they’re not just for fun. People use their hobbies as a way to escape. They use it as an outlet and stress relief when most people think about hobbies they think about making art, planting, reading a book maybe but a lot of people don’t relive that you can have a hobby online and there’s many.

Below is two examples of different online hobbies and what they are 

Writing

Writing can be in many forms if it writing a book, scripts, or a blog all of these different forms of writing are a hobby and can also lead to a income

Social media influencer

Also like writing a social media influencer includes lots of different things such as modeling, if you into fashion or you want to spread a message all things would be included as an online hobby and later could potentially be a source of income.

Of course, there are many many more but nowadays just about anything you do can be an online hobby.

Improving Mental Health With Art

Improving mental health with art 

Art can be sousing and therapeutic. 

The feeling of seeing each color blend and the flow of the painting coming together could be one of the satisfying things on Earth. Since you slowly start to realize that everything is going according to plan. 

However, art is more than colors and creativity. For me, painting is an escape. Truly, I can go hours and hours without looking at the clock with a brush in my hand. I get disconnected from reality. Suddenly, I’m not preoccupied with my problems, the world, or other meaningless stressful things. 

Especially now that we are facing isolation, fear of COVID, and feeling trapped, art can be a great resource to relax. Art is beautiful but forces you to confront yourself with your own emotions. The best example would be abstract art. Some people say that a child could do it as if it is the easiest thing to do. However, they don’t realize that as adults we can’t connect with our inner child, we lose this connection. So, artists that can bring emotions and a child-like painting to life have my respect. It’s more than just lines or dots; the process reveals to you what the artist went through. Each brush stroke could potentially show you their frustration, their happiness, their confusion. 

Now, I’m not saying you need to be a professional to leave everything on a canvas. I’m saying it takes courage, and it can be therapeutic. Leave your anger, your worries, and your fears on the canvas. 

“I think it’s a great way to either interact with our problems and help us process our emotions about the current situation or take a step away from the current situation and immerse ourselves in something else,” Melissa Santoyo said, a Medill sophomore minoring in art. 

Like Santoyo, I believe in artworks like boxing or running; you can leave everything behind and decompress. 

Pandemic Murals

Pandemic Murals 

I believe art can bring people together. Don’t believe me, take a look at the Graffiti alley from south of Queen West, always full of people! Without a doubt, these murals have become a staple to see and for your Instagram feed. 

I remember watching artists paint their graffiti a few summers back. A big crowd of people staring at them. I couldn’t help but think, “Wow, they look so confident, just brushing away without any hesitation.” 

Now during a global pandemic, we have been forced to adjust to a new reality. Sadly, not many artists have painted new graffitis.

However, this is not the case of local artist, Jabari Elicser Elliott, a visual artist. Inspired by the pandemic and the sacrifice many essential workers have made. So, he has dedicated a few of his murals to thank them. For example, Elliott’s Front Line Heroes mural at 1230 Dundas St. W. 

“The nurses are out there, fully, getting the full brunt of it all,” said Elliott when speaking about his mural found at 1230 Dundas St. W. “The reference behind the piece…is Rosie the Riveter. They’re fighting for us again.”

I’m Not An Artist

I’m not an artist 

I never called myself an artist. 

In many of my last blogs, I haven’t been silent about my control issues and my insecurities. It’s a constant struggle; my creativity, my work, and my techniques never seemed enough for this title. 

I admire artists. They are free, they are talented, and find meaning in their work. I have always envied that. I’m proud of my work, yes, but is there more than what we see on the surface? The answer: no. 

I have always feared being meaningless or without a purpose. Now I’m scared my art represents my worst fear. I have said it once, and I’ll say it again, the pandemic has allowed me to flourish. However, I’m still not an artist. 

Based on the Mariam-Webster dictionary, the word artist is defined “as a person who creates art (such as painting, sculpture, music or writing) using conscious skills and creative imagination.” 

On paper, I am an artist, but how come don’t I feel like one? 

Do you consider yourself an artist? 

My Journey With Art

FNED - hobbies

My journey with art

The smell of paint always gets to me like fresh bread out of the oven or getting a glimpse of my mother’s perfume.

My relationship with art is simple: I use it as an escape.

Art has always been there for me. To escape the day-to-day dullness by traveling through artists of the world. I’ll go to Spain for Velasquez, the Netherlands for Van Gogh, and Austria for Klimt.

Then, drawing to doodle my way out of reality. Regardless of the place or time, I’ll always pull out my sketchbook to capture a moment in time.

Finally, painting; acrylic, water, oil, doesn’t matter what kind I use, but that I can create whatever I want with it. Magenta: a bit of blue, red, and green. Beige: red, blue, and yellow mixed together.

My creative ways haven’t changed due to the pandemic. On the contrary, they have flourished. I have spent hours painting bags, walls, boxes, anything!

I can say this past year hasn’t been easy, but not all bad! As I said, I want to be in control, and I never realized that I was putting challenges to my creativity. However, being in closed doors has taught me to be myself. Now, picking up a brush is like letting my hands run wild; no plan, no goal, no expectation.