Creative Again

Marin Greener (she/her)

Editorial Team Member

As a young girl, I was readily creative and artistic in many aspects. I loved to draw, paint, and even write stories or graphic novels during my free time. I still remember one instance when I tried to make my own board game, and my hand-sewn ugly doll from elementary school is still somewhere in my closet. I also read countless books and spent hours invested in stories on the page. However, as I’ve gotten older it feels like I’ve grown farther and farther apart from this version of myself. Now, especially if I’m in a reading slump after a poor reading choice, it feels natural to start using my phone. 

Social media and “doomscrolling” truly steals my attention. After a long day, I struggle with the bad habit of picking up my phone instead of some other, relaxing activity. Then, procrastination of homework for later in the night becomes easier, and an unfortunate cycle can form. This isn’t only true for school days and sports games, it can happen during the weekend too. I want to challenge myself to be more present and productive. This doesn’t only imply reducing procrastination, but also participating in other activities that aren’t such a waste of time.

I plan to reconnect with my past interests. Whenever an assignment in class involves drawing, such as “mind maps” or random hand-drawn diagrams, I always enjoy the chance to be creative. It feels good to put my past skills to use, and if I keep up the practice of being artistic I think I would truly enjoy it. Additionally, although I read less, many members of my family read regularly in their spare time. It’s a much better use of my time than scrolling on my phone, and I want to get back into finishing novels. I enjoyed the plots of some books from school such as The Great Gatsby, and it’s easy to find book recommendations. It’s easy to tell myself that, with school, I don’t have time to read. However, the time I could be using to pick up a book likely gets allotted to social media on my schedule. Overall, after reflecting on how often I’m online, I want to make a change. Whether it’s drawing, reading, or anything else, I am committed to spending less time on my phone. It’s probably easier said than done.