My A-Days aren’t exactly relaxing. By the time the clock strikes 1:15 p.m., my pencils are dull, my muscles are aching, and it feels as though my brain has been thrown in a blender. So nothing compares to the moment lunch ends when I’m racing to room 6118 in anticipation of my fourth period: AP 2D Art. A class in which creativity has no limit and bizarre is the standard.

Since freshman year, I have found myself in Mrs. Cooper’s art room every single semester, and long before then, I had been captivated by paint-splattered palettes and step-by-step sketchbooks. In the past three years, my desires to advance as an artist have been fulfilled through Liberty High School’s wonderful art program.

During elementary school, most students accept defeat when it comes to artistic ability, usually producing only frustration from the few lessons offered in school. It’s true, art is one of the most taxing skills I have been compelled to learn, but perhaps that is the very reason I find myself grateful for it—the challenge is unmatched. 

After a long day of calculations and literary analysis, it is always a blessing to direct my attention to a more open-ended challenge. To turn part of my brain off, even for a brief second, and pick up a brand new, crisp paintbrush is a truly divine feeling. Even better is the fact that mistakes, concealable or not, aren’t viewed as the failures of inept artists, but instead seen as opportunities to improve.

Without AP Art to settle my nerves at the end of a difficult day, I’d most likely go mad. It is my therapy, my recess, and my sanctuary, all wrapped in one package.