On March 31, students gathered in the Health Sciences Education Center for the Feminist Student Activist Collective’s intern-led creatives showcase. 

The event, designed to highlight University student artists, featured student artwork ranging from crochet, painting and sketching. Attendees were invited to participate in hands-on activities, creating their own artwork while connecting with other creatives on campus. 

For students showcasing their art, the event was more than an opportunity to present their work. It was a space to reconnect with their creativity while balancing the demands of being a college student. 

First-year student Myrachelle Riley said her artwork blends both crochet and photography, a concept she began developing in her senior year of high school.

“I started off crocheting with like little stuffed animals and stuff,” Riley said. “Then for my senior year, my art teacher said, ‘Why don’t you try putting your photography and crochet together?’ and that’s how this came about.”

Riley said she’s been into art for a while, but has been into crocheting for the last three years. She said maintaining her craft has become more difficult since starting college.

“It’s hard to balance it because I have so many exams,” Riley said. “Even though I want to do more, I just don’t have the time anymore.”

Time constraints are not the only challenge. Many student artists also face financial difficulties when purchasing materials. Riley said she often turns to thrift stores to find affordable yarn and relies on yarn saved up from her junior and senior years of high school, when she first started crocheting. 

Salma Hussein, a third-year student studying computer science, said she faces similar challenges in balancing her academics with creative passions. 

“I tend to spend a lot more time focusing on my career and losing my passions on the side,” Hussein said. 

Hussein said her art is inspired by anime and Korean media, reflecting her interests and cultural influences. However, she said the cost of supplies can quickly add up. 

“A Prismacolor set of like 100 colored pencils, and that was like $50, like that’s insane,” Hussein said. 

Hussein said she uses community resources like Art Shelf, a local community art studio that provides access to free art materials and studio space, to manage these costs. 

“It just gives you a space to meet artists and also, you know, take advantage of all these free materials,” she said. 

Despite these challenges, Hussein emphasized that art remains an essential part of her life. 

“I don’t think I could go a day without art,” Hussein said. “It’s not the only way that I express myself, I feel like my art shows the type of person that I am, but it’s also the way that I relax from everything going on in my life.”

For first-year student Tasnim Hussein, canvas painting plays a similar role in helping her manage stress. 

“I think it just shows me what I am in control of. Every stroke is meaningful,” Tasnim said. “At the end of my art pieces, I feel like I’ve created something, and it kind of gives me autonomy in my own daily life.” 

Even with the cost of being creative as a college student can be expensive, Tasnim said the experience of creating art makes the cost worthwhile. 

“The journey of making art is priceless,” Tasnim said. 

The showcase offered students an opportunity to display their work while engaging with the broader creative community on campus, highlighting the importance of maintaining a creative outlet even amid academic pressures and obligations.