Being artists by making ourselves at home
As I returned to campus for summer break, one of the first things I did was to decorate my room.
As a person who values personal space a lot, I was extremely excited to finally make my imagined designs for the past few months come into reality. I put pink decorations, arranged bows around my desk, hung polaroids I took with my friends on the walls and projected star night on my ceiling. These decorations did not change the size of my room or easter workload. Yet they made the space different. My room turned more familiar, more comfortable, and it felt more like
mine. It was this feeling that made me wonder: why do some people care spending so much time decorating the places they live in? When we think of art, we often associate it with museums, galleries or professional places to be called actual art where creativity exists in much smaller and simpler parts of our lives. We don't have to be as renowned as Leonardo da Vinci to be recognized as an artist. Instead, choosing a favorite color for a wallpaper, arranging photographs or elements on our desks, or even deciding where to place an anesthetic lamp are our daily forms of artistic expressions. These easy moves reflect our characters and tend to make us feel more authentic. Eventually we're shaping the environment around us. Elements such as lighting, personal belongings, or the general vibe of a personal space can greatly impact the sense of connection someone feels. At least for me, every time I lift my head feeling drained while doing a major assignment, seeing the polaroids I took with my family and friends keeps me motivated. The cupboard where I placed my collection of Hello Kitty dolls is also my favorite energy-refill station whenever I feel exhausted. For students living away from home, such simple deliveries of art can be particularly meaningful. Dormitories and temporary living spaces are formatted in typical ways, but decorations allows us to transform an otherwise ordinary space into something iconic. Unfortunately, stereotypes in our contemporary society often consider these efforts unnecessary for our precious time, which could otherwise be distributed to missions like studying or working, things commonly viewed as worthwhile. However, although decorations cannot eliminate academic stress or loneliness, they remind us of who we are. I did not put up decorations because they are expensive or fashionable, but for their meanings to me as a person. I believe that the value of creating something without expecting it to be productive needs more recognition. As students, we are encouraged to use our time efficiently. But not every activity needs a measurable result. Choosing picture frames to handle the walls, arranging a jewelry stack or choosing a favorite direction for our beds to face does not accomplish a traditional goal. They bring something more important, though; a simple happiness being artists of our own. Everyday art matters, as it reminds us that art is not a priority for people with professional skills or access to fancy places. Sometimes we can feel merely through making a space feel special. With these small choices, people can shape their surroundings, and eventually, create a much stronger connection to the places they call home.
