A case for making art

Recently, I created a drawing using black and white charcoals on a charcoal paper. It was my very first charcoal art, and it’s safe to say that it is my favorite art piece I have ever created. I named the piece “The Ballerina,” and the inspiration came from Pinterest: I was looking thorough pictures and came across a black and white photo of a ballerina. Her body figure and movements inspired me to draw the piece.

One thing I learned about doing charcoal art is that the charcoal created a lot of dust. I had to be careful while I was drawing because that dust could smudge everywhere on the paper and create fingerprints. The charcoal itself has the scent of wood. If I looked at the finished piece, the texture might seem smooth, but if I run my hand over the piece, the texture is kind of rough, a little like sandpaper.

click on images to zoom and for caption info

The imagine I found on Pinterest

My charcoal piece

The type of art I personally love to do is drawing and painting, but I also like crocheting and cooking. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing an art piece form from blank canvas to something magical. I find it really fascinating to see how I can create an art piece with just two colors.

This particular type of drawing brings me a lot of joy and relaxation; it calms me to shade and blend the black and white charcoals. I am easily stressed, especially with homework and assignments, and creating art, such as painting and drawing, takes that stress and anxiety away. It also helps if I am listening to music while I create. Depending on my mood, I might listen to R&B ballads and classical music or hit songs and pop music.

One other reason I do art is that it allows me to express my creativity. Being creative allows me to try different things and take risks. I express myself through taking risks, and trying different things helps me learn about myself: what I like, what I excel at.

I love that art is a universal language that lets us communicate without words. Everyone can take something different away from an art piece, and it does not require to know certain language to do so.

Some believe that real artists are the one who create sculptures or the one who paint on canvas. Others think that to be an artist, one must born with talent. Many are also concerned about how bad their artwork is. The truth is, everyone can be an artist. Art is freedom of expression, and we can express our creativity and imagination. It does not matter whether the artwork you do is good or bad, as long as you feel relaxed and relieve some stress while creating art—that’s all that matters. The art work you create does not have to be perfect, but it has to be you.

Assumpta is the work study for the Marketing and Communications office. Check out her previous Green Light post, about being multilingual, here.