As we have emerged into the year 2022 (I know, crazy, right?) I have tried to get this feeling out of my brain that something has been missing for quite some time. Finally, I realized what it has been: Art. Though there has been art seen in various areas and  it has been picked up as a hobby by many people due to the pandemic, I realized that there has been a lot less motivation or hesitation to contribute to art overall.

Recently, museums have started to open up again, as well as theaters and concert venues, but during the worst parts of the pandemic, a lot of these places were abruptly shut down, which diminished a lot of this vibrant creativity.

Many jobs in the creative arts industries have also dropped significantly during the pandemic, especially in 2020, with nearly 2.7 million jobs lost. Also in 2020, the main 53 metropolitan areas with populations over 1 million estimated more than three-quarters (80%) of total losses in sales for the arts and two-thirds (68%) of all estimated job losses in creative industries across the United States.

The pandemic has inadvertently drawn public attention to science and technology. Though this is absolutely extraordinary and should be continued, I believe that at some point these sciences hold limitations to the imagination. We need to reintroduce that imagination.

By no means am I showing these statistics so that you go out into the world and make a full-time career something involving art. I believe that anyone can pick up an artistic hobby in any given form whether it be drawing, sewing, painting, pottery, origami, tattooing, makeup, photography, doodling, nail art, metalwork, cake decorating, candle making, crochet, digital editing, or even dancing or singing— the possibilities are absolutely endless.

All I am asking is for you to give it a try. You do not have to be perfect when you start. Practice and failure make you better.

I have heard the same phrase spoken to many who practice a form of art, “ Oh, you’re just talented, I wish I could do art just like you.”

That can be interpreted that art just comes easy to those who are involved in it and it is something that they did not have to work on and fail at many times to hone their skills.

Every person who starts art has to practice and practice to get better, just like anything, so it is not something you should be afraid of or self-conscious about. You can see photos from some people you may know who have taken their time to try out something as a way to express themselves, relieve stress, and just have fun.

Art is universal, creative, limitless, and something that everyone can share new ideas with or give techniques for no matter the level of skill or expertise. I cannot express how much fun it is to bond over art projects. It is something that allows a break from the science and critical reality of our current lives, allowing openings to culture and ways of expression.

You may not like the first hobby you pick up and that is completely okay. It takes a couple trials to find what you really enjoy. At first, I thought I wanted to be really good at drawing with colored pencils and markers, because I thought that was the only way you could conquer art. But, through some boredom and endless trials, I realized that water and oil painting as well as sketching with black ink and coffee is what is most close to my heart and art style.

When you look at art, it can have so many messages or meanings that carry for many years. Art is a communal experience that helps us understand one another no matter the culture. They can make us curious about something that may be familiar to you or something that you have never seen before. But, do not let this scare you and accept it—embrace it.