During quarantine I began to spend a lot of free time painting, and I ended up creating a routine with art, where I would play my music and paint things which interested me. I took this up as a an activity to pass time, because it was really therapeutic and relaxing, and required a lot of focus so I was not cluttering my mind with other thoughts. I realised even though I would not consider myself an artist at all, it was really enjoyable and pushed me to try create things I could be proud of. I then also painted with some friends, who are much more experienced artists than I am, but this was a really relaxed environment to enjoy each others company. It was a great way to socialise at home, whilst adhering to the COVID-19 protocols.

Recently I have been trying to paint album covers or paintings related to music artists whom I love, because I really want to be able to decorate my room. Eventually, I hope to have a piece of art which I have created with each one of my friends, displayed in my room. This will have personal significance and become a tradition for me.

I still definitely don’t consider myself an artist… but I would love to improve because it is something I enjoy doing which really relaxes my mind. It is beneficial for mental health to have a creative outlet,

 and also an activity to do with friends. I hope to improve the range of things I can draw, and try other mediums (sketching, colouring etc.)