For the past several millennia, humans have been interested in making things.  From ancients carving sculptures from stone, wood, animal horn or bone to modern people crocheting original clothing, earthlings like to make stuff!

The life of a student can be extremely draining.  With most participating in academics, sports, arts, clubs, and dozens of other activities every week, getting home from school, finishing up homework, leaves students with free time often used unproductively.  Whether it’s endless scrolling on a smartphone or just spending time on social media, these activities—when done excessively— don’t help. On the other hand crafts that require little energy like drawing, knitting, reading, even gaming (in moderation) can be turned into a profit for your brain.

“I love wood burning because it helped teach me to be patient and above all to be careful with hot equipment,” said unior Lucas Rosales.

Wood burning is an art that needn’t any description other than burning wood in a pattern of some sort. It is often paired with carpentry, but that is high maintenance, and therefore not necessary.

“I’ve crocheted since I was seven-years-old. It has so far become a deep passion of mine,” said senior Gabriella Costa.

Crocheting is possibly one of the most versatile crafts out there because of its complex nature it can be applied to create 3D-doohickeys like stuffed animals, flowers, etc. 

Gaming, in the eyes of many adults, is often viewed as a waste of a hobby, but it actually improves hand eye coordination, socialization, brain stimulation, problem solving skills, and more.

Fortunately, arts, crafts, and games are a major asset especially for students because of their immense benefits to overall mental health.

If you would like to try out any of the above, but do not have any idea where to start, a great place to begin is by heading over to the local art supplies store, and ask the clerk about any enjoyable fun hobbies.

You never know if this new pursuit may last a lifetime.