What are you doing for spring break? The most common answer from students would be “relaxing” which is a given because of the large amount of schoolwork they get. Before winter break, academics is more lenient because it’s mainly a review of past classes. After the winter break, students must begin preparing for state tests as well as IB exams so the work becomes more rigorous. That’s why breaks like these are a utopia for students.
Although it may be tempting to spend your break doing nothing, it is still important to explore hobbies and activities that you love and may not have been able to do because of school. School breaks are a necessity for students to catch up, relax, and have fun. “During spring break I’m planning on spending time with my family and going to restaurants with them,” said sophomore Iman Obadi.
Creativity is a skill that can be applied to all aspects of life. From work to relationships to simple day to day problems, creativity is essential to fix anything related to this. Not only can it connect you to people, it can also boost your productivity. Naturally, working on creativity can help immensely with you art and you can use these ideas to improve both yourself and your art.
“For me personally, creativity through organization allows me to manage my workload,” junior Safa Touri said.

 Reconnecting with nature

Nature can be an inspiration for art in all forms. Spending time with nature gives a person a sense of awe which can make you feel like the world is much bigger than you can comprehend, this is called ‘expansive thinking.’
It allows you to consider different perspectives and can lead to more innovative ideas. The Remote Associates Test is a test that has been used by psychologists to assess the brain’s abilities linked to creativity. A study conducted with RAT sent 28 students on the trails of Alaska, Colorado, or Washington and found that when they took the test after four days in these natural settings showed a 50% increase in their creativity scores.

Visit an art museum

Viewing art can have numerous benefits. It can inspire, motivate, and empathize with the artist when the viewer faces it.
“You can find inspiration from how other artists approach their message or just their idea which can help apply it to your own artworks,” junior Celine Huynh said.
Art museums have many different kinds of art and visiting one can help you find which one suits you best. Many museums have art of multiple mediums, time periods and from artists of different backgrounds. Try visiting one today! There are many located in DC that are free and only a drive away. It’s a valuable experience where you can spend time with family and friends while also gaining more skills.

Try a new medium

If you’re used to one type of art form or material, try another! Experimenting with painting, drawing, photography, or sculpture can open your eyes to a whole new world of creativity. Each medium offers unique opportunities to capture the essence of your ideas and allows for personal expression and growth.
“I was debating whether or not to take Digital Art 2 next year but I decided to expand my creativity by exploring different mediums; I wanted to try something new,” sophomore Victoria Jackson said. “People have always told me that I’m a creative person, but now that I have expanded to try different mediums, I feel that I have grown in creativity. Now I have new ideas that I can use to create future pieces.”

Collaborate with others

Collaborating with others is an essential skill that can help you in all forms of art. It allows you to blend different ideas and expand your thinking to create innovative ideas. You will step out of your comfort zones, learn, create, and experiment in ways you may never have imagined on your own. Since you have a lot of free time, you can meet up with your friends. There are many ideas during spring break that you can enjoy with them rather than being alone.
“When we get ideas from a wider range of perspectives we’re going to come up with more choices and out-of the box ideas that we otherwise may not have found,” said Jake Vaughn, a History & Social Studies teacher.