By Sarah Ulery
It’s that time of year when Walmart looks post-apocalyptic. Parents, students, and teachers scavenge for school supplies--especially those that meet the list of required materials as determined by the schools. Kids need notebooks for science class, a binder for math. But what always seems to brighten young eyes are colors. Map pencils. A cheap set of watercolor paints. A fresh, untouched box of crayons, smooth to the touch, the scent of wax drifting through the cracks in the cardboard packaging. These are the supplies allotted for creativity--something that brings color to the long days of history lessons and math problems.
As students get older though, any priority placed on art and creation starts to dwindle. Kids start taking state tests and advanced placement classes. They are urged towards core classes that prepare them for tests, for college applications, and for things that “matter more” in the “real world”. Art classes may be present in schools, but they’re pushed to the sidelines at some of the more stressful times in childhood. Schools, parents, and colleges urge students towards difficult coursework that should have the direct purpose of getting into a university and then landing a job. Art, in the eyes of many, becomes a less crucial skill and therefore a less crucial credit.
But middle and high school are some of the most stressful times yet faced by young students. Not only are they going through biological changes in puberty, but their social lives are changing as they are expected to “keep up” with the world around them. Students are pushed to do work, participate in scholarly extracurriculars, and cram in advanced coursework, all in addition to fitting in with other kids in the way they act, dress, and relate to others. All of these responsibilities and expectations can build up, and without a way to release stress, it can be overwhelming. That’s where art should come into play.
Extracurriculars are just that--extra. Not everything in a high schooler’s life has to be about what comes after graduation; taking some of the pressure off to participate in classes like art can bring down the stress and even open students to different ways of thinking about the world. When a student can portray the same image in watercolor, sculpture, charcoal, and print, they see how perspectives can change. When they’ve had a fight with a friend and just want to slap some paint on a page, that’s okay, too. Unlike other forms of art like music or writing, visible art is physical, something tangible in a world that in the teenage years is constantly and drastically changing. In a crowded school, in a crowded world, it can give young people something to hold onto and call their own during a confusing time in their life.
While some schools are backing away from funding for the arts, others are starting to recognize the state of their students’ mental health and trying to better it. When school districts look to make an effort to help the wellness of their students, they should look to art. Use student work to brighten the stark white school walls. Use funds to buy a rainbow of paints that will brighten some student’s day. Art can let students release bad emotions, and it can let them create new, better ones.