The Art of Feelings: Students Discover New Outlets through Arts and Writing

By Eula Grace Logarta

The lives of college students are often burdened by heavy workloads, leaving them with little to no time for themselves. In this kind of setting, some sentiments are bound to pile up and cause havoc to the mind. When emotions run high, where can one turn to to alleviate them? For some, the answer lies in a single stroke of color, a few words, or even a piece of yarn.

On October 10, 2024, MSU-IIT organized a series of events to relax the mind and celebrate World Mental Health Day. Among these activities were the Arts and Literary Workshops, spearheaded by the KASAMA in collaboration with the Executive Councils of each college. This initiative aimed to provide art and writing enthusiasts a chance to let loose. The event included three workshops: marker painting, creative writing, and crocheting. Perfect for students who prefer using artistic pursuits to unwind.

The first workshop dedicated to the arts was the marker painting. Facilitated by the College of Education’s (CED) Kasamang Kulay, the college’s art organization, the activity aimed to explore the role of colors in expressing emotions. Each color can be linked to multiple feelings in the spectrum, ranging from ones you feel when everything is fine and dandy to sentiments that only surface on bad days. All these can be conveyed with just a few marker strokes in different shades. This concept hit closer to home for BS Philosophy student Mary Therese Sumagang, who finds solace in art when life gets a bit rough.

“Atong times sad na gatan-aw ko sa post kay very down sad kaayo ko ato, then ang coping mechanism bitaw nako kay arts,” Sumagang disclosed. “It’s easier man gud na mag scribble ug mga lines and it turns into art. Didto murag magawas nimo unsa imong mafeel.”

The Linguazette — the official publication of the Literature, Language, and Culture Society (LILACS) — fronted the literary workshop by introducing creative writing as a therapeutic activity to the participants. This workshop's exercises were designed to teach writing enthusiasts how to channel their thoughts and emotions from mind to paper. For a technical writer like John Carl Vincent Dadulo from BS Psychology, the insights shared during the session were like a breath of fresh air.

“It’s more expressive rather than objective, where sometimes I would feel like I’m caged by the rules,” he admitted. However, this newfound freedom in writing had its limits. Dadulo added that because anything can now be penned, it can also make one feel lost on what to write. Thankfully, the session also equipped them with tricks on how to deal with writer’s block if it does occur. 

For those who prefer crafting activities and cute trinkets, crocheting is the best activity to pick up. This workshop was taught and managed by KASAMA Senator Catherine Badilla, who merrily explained why the skill was added to the list of classes. As a fellow crocheter, she is aware of the mental health benefits that the activity brings and wants to share it with anyone looking for a hobby to help them mentally. Crochet enthusiast Akitha Gracia Cadutdut of BA English Language Studies was one of them. 

“I buy them a lot, so I wanted to, you know…I want to make my own someday,” she shared. Cadutdut went on to say that she was grateful for the hands-on approach of the facilitators, making her feel supported at the beginning of her new hobby.

The overall event was met with positive feedback from the participants, commenting that activities like these are vital to the mental well-being of the students. As per Cadutdut, what they learned from the workshops can serve as both a pastime and a coping mechanism, depending on the emotions that triumph on certain days. It not only allowed them to improve but also acquaint themselves with new faces that may help them with their life journeys.

In this day and age where everything is fast-paced, taking time to stop and unwind may seem like a luxury. However, it must be remembered that pausing is a way of moving forward too. The university’s initiative to celebrate World Mental Health Day in an inclusive and student-friendly way for the first time was a success. Hopefully, it will not be the last.