As I mentioned before, about two years ago, my friends and I started a weekly Art Night. Every Thursday, we have dinner at my place and head out to Starbucks...yeah, I know, I know, Starbucks? But seriously there are not a lot of coffee shops where you can buy a drink and sit for hours writing, drawing, painting, reading, studying. We could go to a family restaurant or a McDonald’s, which are the study choices for a lot of high school kids, but those places aren’t really conducive to the whole creation vibe unless that’s your thing.

Over time, I have illustrated in inks, pencils, and pastels. I have also painted in watercolors. I have crocheted and I have read. And, of course, on those nights that I was inspired to do so, I would write.

Art Night is a way to get me to be creative in other ways because I want to use that creativity for my writing, and I really think it has helped.

I have begun to post my illustrations to my Instagram account and I have been using Instagram to follow artists that inspire me. It’s been a really great way to prime my creative pump.

I truly love Art Night and I genuinely feel sad or depressed when I am unable to do it. It’s become such an essential part of my process that not doing it makes me feel incomplete.