By Archanaa Ramakrishnan
The pandemic this year has left all individuals confined to their homes, unable to interact with others and carry on with their normal lives. This confinement has inspired many to use the given time to express themselves creatively. Many students at MHS have utilized their artistic strengths to express and de-stress themselves in this unsettling time.
Vyoma Bhanap, a junior, has found acting and writing as stress relievers and creative outlets. “Having these creative elements in everybody’s life is so important for making us more empathetic, more understanding human beings as a whole,” Bhanap said.
Bhanap described how her art form, whether it be acting or writing, has shaped her during the pandemic, which also has allowed her more time to express herself. “I think that because we’ve all felt this collective shift and we’ve heard it so many times — ‘we’re in it together,’ — everybody all over the world is suddenly forced to re-evaluate what are our privileges, what are the flaws in our system, and I think that leads to much more introspection and much more interesting kinds of writing now,” Bhanap said.
When explaining how her art form has been altered due to the pandemic, Bhanap stated that by being entrenched in worldwide issues and pure havoc, she has been able to express certain ideas and emotions better. “Looking back on all the art that I did before, it feels like I was observing people’s emotions, or I was observing situations, and I was either acting or writing about them. … So now it feels like I’ve been plunged into whatever I may have been writing or acting about. … It feels like during quarantine, and during the pandemic, it has become like reality, and therefore everything has become more vivid,” Bhanap said.
Bhanap elaborated on the importance of her art form, especially to her mental well-being during the pandemic. “Writing gives a way for us to see and analyze what’s going on inside of our heads. And if I didn’t have that, if I didn’t have acting or writing, it would be crazy. I wouldn’t be able to think at all with the mess that’s in our heads,” Bhanap explained.
Junior Kevin Wolf has also turned to creative writing during the pandemic, depending on art for his well-being. “If I didn’t write, I would be watching YouTube the whole time, and I don’t think that’s very healthy,” Wolf said.
Wolf continued to explain his goals for the future and how the time given to him over the pandemic has allowed him to work on his passion for screenwriting. “At the start of quarantine, I started writing a script for a movie, so that’s fun. So, whenever I write, I think this could be something,” Wolf said. Even as school became more stressful with the arduous workload, Wolf manages to find time to develop his writing skills. “Basically, just after homework, I’m writing.”
Mia Pham, a junior, also became more creative during the pandemic, tuning to digital art. Her art form has served as a stress reliever from the pandemic and schoolwork as well. “It’s my stress relief for the most part whenever I feel like I don’t want to do my work because it’s getting really stressful, and I just wind down by sketching,” Pham explained.
Pham conveyed her process of working on her art and how she has developed her artistic abilities through the months. “I took up more drawing challenges [….] and practiced my drawing technique because it wasn’t really great towards the start of the pandemic,” Pham said.
Pham explained how her art form and way of expression have brought new friendships even through social distancing. “I met new artists over social media and, like, shared artwork along with other artists. I do have an artist friend that I speak back and forth with, asking for advice. I share progress with her, and she can give me advice on how to fix things,” Pham said.
Pham offered some advice to other artists during the pandemic. “Just go with whatever you are doing right now. Like if you are just drawing on the whims, keep doing that. It’s stress-free if you’re not worrying too much about what you’re drawing and what’s going to come out of it. Just go with the flow, and remember this is something you’re satisfied with.” Pham noted.
Despite the global pandemic, the artists of MHS have found ways to express themselves.
