The new school semester has started, and with that comes many worries. For some, it may be a blissful escape from boring home life. For others, it is just the start of stress and anxiety. As schedules become hectic and the days start to blur, there needs to be something to hold on to. I think the best way to ease your mind is to create. Whether it be a piece of art, music, or poems, really anything works. Creating something beautiful takes effort, and it’s a productive way of getting your head clear.

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.“

Pablo Picasso

As terrible as it sounds, the most beautiful artworks come from places of anguish or sadness. Director Hayao Miyazaki, the creator of the Ghibli Studio, makes movies filled with childlike wonder. Movies that make you feel like everything is going to be okay, that it’ll all work out. You would never be able to guess that he was struggling with manic depression. In a dark place, it feels best to be able to create something that is the opposite of your life. Like an escape from reality, something that expresses how you really feel. And for me, learning new piano pieces and feeling myself improve is my driving force. Music is fair, the amount of effort you put in directly amounts to your result.

Not to mention how seeing pieces of art in media or in everyday life makes me happy. Animation and music always cheer me up no matter what. Art runs the world and brings us all together. I mean, think about it. When you get home, it’s been a long day, there’s not much better than enjoying an album from your favorite artist. The process of creating and the process of showing it to others is one to be enjoyed. At the end of the day, I believe life’s main goal is happiness. Do what you love, watch what you love, create what you love, and it’ll be alright.