This theme is Express Yourself Through Art. Art doesn’t have to be just be painting or drawing, any form of self-expression is art–movement, music, photography, dance, theatre, sports all count as art.
THIS MONTH’S BOOK
Huda F are You? by Huda Fahmy
Huda and her family just moved to Dearborn, Michigan, a small town with a big Muslim population. In her old town, Huda knew exactly who she was: She was the hijabi girl. But in Dearborn, everyone is the hijabi girl.
Huda is lost in a sea of hijabis, and she can’t rely on her hijab to define her anymore. She has to define herself. So she tries on a bunch of cliques, but she isn’t a hijabi fashionista or a hijabi athlete or a hijabi gamer.
She’s not the one who knows everything about her religion or the one all the guys like. She’s miscellaneous, which makes her feel like no one at all.
Until she realizes that it’ll take finding out who she isn’t to figure out who she is.
TAG You're It Podcast
Read the Express Yourself Through Art Pack Insert
EXPRESS YOURSELF
Self-expression is a way to bring your ideas and emotions out into the world. We have a few favorites apps, websites, and songs to share. Then scroll down to see how each of the Teen Subscription Pack Interns expresses themselves for more inspiration and resources.
Publish Your Writing on Medium
Bitmoji Creator
Adobe Illustrator Fresco App
All Interns' Collective Playlist
HOW THE PACK INTERNS EXPRESS THEMSELVES THROUGH ART
Nia
I doodle when I need something to do. I usually draw hearts or my name in fancy ways.
I take pictures of myself or food. When it comes to food, I take pictures of snacks or my dinner. I could honestly start a photobook full of my food pictures.
I try out new makeup ideas sometimes. I use bright, bold colors and try different eye makeup designs. When I do my nails and toes, I like to try different colors, styles and patterns.
I also like to write. I write down my feelings and any ideas I have throughout the day. This helps me be at peace with life and know how to go about things. I highly recommend writing as a way to express yourself. It helps and it doesn’t matter what you write about because there are endless possibilities.
Nia hosted three events at the library related to pack themes that all let teens express themselves through art. Here she painting a pot to plant for spring and Earth Day. See cookies she decorated below!
Sophie
I’ve been playing guitar since I was 9 years old, and singing ever since I could speak. I’ve picked up a couple of other instruments along the way, but guitar has always been my favorite because it’s the instrument I use to write most songs.
Songwriting is my top form of self expression, alongside drawing. It’s melodic poetry, and I think I like it best because you get to combine so many different forms of expression into one, like singing, accompaniment, arrangement, and writing. It’s a great avenue for expressing my creativity, and often I also use songwriting as a way to turn my negative experiences into art.
Making something beautiful out of something traumatic or upsetting is extremely cathartic and helps with the healing process, sometimes if you struggle to find meaning in your negative experiences, using them to make art or write songs can “give your pain purpose,” in a sense. I highly recommend it as a form of self expression!
Madison
I express myself through art in many ways, but my favorite is through pencil and paper. All my thoughts, imaginations, and my emotions are tied to what I draw. it gives me satisfaction and I feel relaxed if I’m stressed out.
This drawing is from a video game called Splatoon 2 and it’s basically a paintball game that uses paintbrushes and buckets to paint. There’s a little character on the side and a painted heart behind them. I thought it was a good idea to draw art from art. 🙂
Caden
I didn’t have one primary interest when I was younger; it was all over the place. I got exposed to anime at a young age, that being Digimon. Since then, fiction–writing and shows–have always attracted me because they are about something beyond our world that we can wish was in the real world.
I have selected 24 songs out of 123 in my Spotify playlist. Some may inspire, while others give energy and comfort to those around them. Then they’re the classics–ones that have impacted the world greatly, such as Avicii’s Wake Me Up. To me, each song has a story to tell, and when they are all combined by a person, they slightly reveal who that person is on the inside.
These lists continue to form and grow with you going through the change as you age. Without music, how would we express ourselves in a way that is convenient? All the inspiration, stories, and goals, that have formed because of music might be the true objective.
Ayesha
Hajirah
