A wide range of students have creative talents but don’t seem to find places to display their skills, whether it be dancing, singing, writing, fine arts, or theater. 

There are many opportunities through clubs and electives that can match one’s interests, personality and talents.

“I think that we all have different intelligences and some people are very interpersonal, where they have much confidence and enjoy speaking, and there are other people that are highly intelligent in creating art or writing but don’t enjoy speaking, and they may have a fear associated with that. If they are able to realize that these clubs are made up of people just like them, there are many ways to be heard within these clubs; That’s through your writing and your art and performance skills,” said English and IB Dance teacher Kimberly Cisek.

Pathways Art and Literary magazine for 9th graders is where students can submit artwork and creative writing showcasing their voice through their art; along with Etchings for 10-12 graders, which is also an art and literary magazine. Some clubs students with creative talents may enjoy are the Multimedia club, Masque & Wig Theater group, and The Courant newspaper.

When students enter grades 11-12, they are applicable for Lambda Iota Tau (LIT) English Honor society, International Thespian Society, National Art Honor Society, and Tri-M Music Honor Society. These organizations help students get out of their comfort zone and expand their intellectual horizons.

It is important to realize the aspects of extra curriculars before one joins a club or Honor Society.

“Usually things that would normally embarrass a person are what happens on stage, like dancing and singing, so if they feel self-conscious about it, they could just think about how they are supposed to do the singing or dancing and if they do it while onstage then it wouldn’t be considered embarrassing as opposed to them doing it in public. Also, the theater community is extremely supportive to the point where the cast basically becomes a family, so it makes it easier to be yourself when others around you care about who you are and not just what you do,” said sophomore Nate B., a member of Masque & Wig.

Theater helps students with teamwork skills, confidence, imagination, concentration, and problem-solving. There is the drama in the fall and the musical in the spring for whoever is interested. Students can still work behind the scenes with props and set design if acting is not one’s thing. Although Stage Crew is not seen on stage, they get the opportunity to learn the script and the music; they learn how writing gets put into production; all of the above would help artists in all fields find inspiration and learn how famous stories are written.

Although having creative talents may be crucial in being a part of specific clubs and organizations, there are other things to consider.

“When students realize there’s no correct answer, they feel freer. Rather than believing that there’s one solution, there are many solutions. Everyone’s paths are different in the process of getting over right or wrong,” said art teacher Allison Razzano.

If students are interested in art, they can look into the art electives, such as photography, fashion design, pottery, writers workshop, dance, and more. According to ink.com, scientific studies have shown that as people grow, their creative abilities don’t work as well as they once did; therefore, it is crucial to incorporate creativity into a student’s day if they are interested in pursuing a form of art. This will keep the brain’s frontal cortex part of the brain active.

Creativity is defined as the ability to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in problem-solving, speaking with others, and entertaining ourselves and others.

“If students are having trouble finding inspiration, I believe the best advice is to go on a walk and jot down all you see, be an observer and soak up the world around you. Just get out there and live for writers need the experiences to write about,” said Cisek

It may be frustrating when an artist has trouble finding inspiration, but when a writer shares experiences with their readers, it connects people without speaking to each other and can guide them through hard times. If one is an introverted person, there is no need to interact with anyone in order to express an artistic side; try researching a topic or different piece of art. Reading or looking at a piece also will inspire other writers. By scrutinizing a painting or watching a play, a writer can create a story.

Inspiration can result from bouncing off an artist in one field to another artist in a different specialization. 🔳