It’s 11:15 PM on a Saturday night, and I just arrived home from tennis practice. To be honest, that might’ve been the most exhausting two hours of my life. I am grateful to play tennis, since it is one of the only ways I can get exercise over the winter, but that doesn’t help the fact that I come home with sore shoulders and calves every other week. Practice today was extremely tiring but now that I’m home, I can finally make good use of my free time: scripting. So I put my bag down and run upstairs to my room. I grab my green-colored journal from my shelf, and my favorite bronze pen. When I flip to a fresh page, I begin freely writing about the future events that I desire. As I begin writing, I feel the tips of my fingers press against the cold metal texture of the pen. I then feel my fingers starting to ache as I’m continuously writing down several paragraphs for hours on end. It was at this moment, when I realized that scripting was something that brought radiance and creativity all around me.

With our daily lives being abundantly repetitive, vast amounts of people are becoming more desperate to travel back to normalcy. People are beginning to adapt to their lives being predominantly presented in an online format. For instance, students have monotonous routines that consist of getting up, logging onto Zooms, doing homework online, and going to bed, just to wake up to the same procedure in the morning. Therefore, it’s important that we all find our own creative outlets, so we all have activities that can keep us preoccupied during these unprecedented times.  Perhaps, it is time that we all develop some new hobbies that don’t require the use of technology. Rather than spending your free time by scrolling hours on end through TikTok videos or binge watching your favorite shows, you can start something new through the activities listed below. 

Painting: 

Although painting may not be for everyone, this activity comes with many benefits once you start it. Personally, I have taken some art classes in the past and despite the fact that I could barely draw, I was still able to enhance my sense of creativity through painting. I began to feel a lot more confident and positive with myself, after painting a couple of pieces. Once you pick up a painting brush and allow yourself to create your own masterpiece, you begin to feel more relaxed and delighted. Lacey Shin, a current sophomore, says, “Painting is relaxing for me because I’m able to express myself. I’ve learned to not procrastinate as much because I’ve found joy in it.” Lacey is currently taking art classes with a separate teacher, however, she strongly believes that anyone can develop a passion for painting whenever they desire. Additionally, Lacey has won art awards as she became more experienced, including the Scholastic Gold Key, and began developing her interest in painting over the summer. Through painting, she’s learned to refine her concentration skills and learn new techniques the more she paints. Therefore, painting has several advantages that can drastically help with your artistic skills.

Disposable Camera Photography : 

Similar to painting, photography provides so many advantages to our daily lives. Taking photos continuously allows us to preserve special memories, like your best friend’s birthday party or your favorite vacation trip that you took. Exploring the depths of photography grants us the opportunity to express our creative selves, by testing out new angles or trying out new techniques. Through photography, we can break from reality and capture some of our happiest memories throughout our lives. Photography is a hobby that anyone can pick up on. To help develop your skills in photography, you can begin taking photos on disposable or instant cameras, instead of your phone. I own an instant camera and I truly take pleasure in shooting photos in its purest form. A current sophomore who’s recently developed a passion for photography, Eryn Hong, says, “It has been a tough year for myself and during these times I have even lost the light around me. Photography, however, has become an outlet for me to allow myself to embrace the beauty around me.” As much as Eryn enjoys using her phone to take pictures, she uses her film camera since she also finds it beneficial. By withholding physical copies of her photos, you can easily access and hold onto important moments within your lives. As a result, taking photos in any form possible can sincerely bring more joy to your life. 

Scripting/Journaling : 

2021, the year of manifestation. If you’re not sure of the overall concept of manifestation or want to gain a better insight of it, it’s basically the idea of luring your true desires into your life, through attraction and your inner thoughts. There are several different ways one can manifest, but a common method is called scripting. Now you may be thinking, don’t scripts go into movies or plays? Well yes, but they can also narrate moments in your life as well. Scripting is a way of speaking certain things you desire into existence. One of the best components of scripting is that it doesn’t require many materials, since all you really need is a writing tool and a journal. When you script, you’re writing down a scenario that you wish for as if it already happened. Through scripting, you can begin to see yourself as a more radiant person and obtain a mindset full with more positivity. Celine Magrill, a sophomore who enjoys scripting, says, “Scripting has changed my overall mindset about things. Not only do I feel more positive towards certain challenges, but I feel more motivated to continue with my hard work.” Due to how tough the year has already been, with the pandemic arising, it is clear everyone deserves a sense of optimism within their lives. It’s certainly evident to claim that scripting can help people escape from all the tension and turn their desires into reality. 

“This year has been extremely difficult on everyone, and because of how different it is, I tend to lose motivation here and there.” says Celine Magrill. With more cases of COVID-19 escalating worldwide, several hardships have arisen, making it strenuous for people to maintain their stability throughout the year. Although these hardships may be tremendously difficult to tackle, hopefully the hobbies I’ve listed above can help you somewhat cope with the rest of the year to come.