Four Ways to Squash School-Break Boredom (Arts Edition)

The first days on school break are usually spent recuperating after a long period of exams: lying in bed for hours watching Netflix, and scrolling on Instagram feels refreshing (at least, at the beginning). However, many come to acknowledge the sluggish, bored feeling which creeps up after rotting on the couch for too many days and end up wanting to ditch it. (As Lawrenceville students, are we ever not ever-anxious worker bees?) After a well-spent winter break, I have found that a great way to balance restoration and basic mental activity during break is to lay off the academics and take up a creative venture. Here are four activities that either you alone, or with a friend, can start next time you want to stretch your brain or try something new while relaxing! 

 1- The world through another lens: Go for a photography tour!

 Whether you are visiting home or a location abroad, documenting your surroundings using photography allows you to work creatively without traditional visual-arts skills. All you need is a camera and an idea to transform your surroundings, however metropolitan or secluded. If you have access to an old digital camera, a film camera, or a polaroid camera, try using it in conjunction with your phone to see the different effects you can achieve with layering different technologies. As you take to the streets, it can be helpful to picture the world through a specific lens you choose. If you want to snap niche photos, think of a theme connecting a type of subject with a certain background, such as highlighting nature in urban areas or capturing bird life on the coast. Taking another route, you can search for photos that fit under a broader category, such as taking photos with a certain color scheme or photos of your family going through their routines. If you are on vacation, you can look to document your favorite meals, sights, and natural beauties that may not exist back home! 

 2- The sentimental one: Scrapbook your favorite moments

 Are you a hoarder, who has keepsakes from every moment of your life? Instead of feeling ashamed of your clutter, compile your day-to-day odds and ends, from train tickets and playbills to an old restaurant receipt or shopping bag ribbons to transform them into a stunning scrapbook composition capturing your life. There are many different ways to format your scrappy masterpiece: You can place items into a picture frame with a decorative fabric; paperback these items; or grab a fresh journal and decorate the pages inside to begin. From there, scrapbooking may go any which way! You may opt for a favorite color- or pattern-based theme, create a spread tailored to fit within your bedroom, or detail a certain period in your life. If you have recently gone on a trip with a friend, a collage of items could end up as a great gift for that person! 

 3- An ode to the dusty instrument in the corner of your room: Experiment with music

 If you play(ed) an instrument or like to sing but have lost some love for music in the busy swirl of high school, this activity may ignite a passionate spark for your musical craft. Practicing instruments, for some, ushers in a pool of salty emotions of childhood trials. Music does not necessarily have to be painful, though, and taking a new angle when looking at your instrument may just redefine your love for music. Next time you pick up your instrument, think about a song that you love, no matter the genre, and try playing it! Finding sheet music for any instrument becomes easier every year as the internet diversifies. Try implementing your own flair into a song by taking creative liberties while playing it! If your instrument of choice lends itself to songwriting, try taking a stab at that craft as well. Stringing together chords and lyrics can take practice, yet the end result of a passionate song is always worth it. 

 4- Daily Delights: Customize your favorite commonly used items

 For those without an expansive canvas selection, try panning your attention towards everyday items to use as a base for your art! Spice up your workspace by customizing your most commonly used items, such as technology and school supplies. If placing stickers everywhere is your vibe, then embrace that! For those who like fun, but fear attaching a permanent sticker onto your laptop or phone, consider investing in a clear case for either device to place materials under. Create or print little images and designs of things like your pet or pressed flowers, organize them in a pattern on top of your device, before putting your case down to preserve your composition! If you are looking to add flavor to your school supplies, grab some glue or tape, paper, writing utensils, and any other items (such as ribbon, washi tape, etc.) that you may want to add to your project. Then, find a notebook or binder, and get to customizing! Eventually, you will end up with a binder that is not only intellectually rich on the inside, but stunning on the outside, ready for the sad day that always seems to come too fast—the beginning of school once again.