By Jessica Nunes
One of the many ways you can express yourself is through art. Here at Northwest University, we offer various art classes: Intro to drawing, photography, art and design, painting and so many more.
These classes give students the tools to unleash their creativity in new ways while also building a newfound sense of identity. Art is an outlet for releasing the stress and anxiety of everyday life. Additionally, practicing and studying art can help develop critical thinking skills for your life. It can also help you interpret the world around you with a new perspective.
Professor Rebecca (Becky) Aitken, who has been teaching these classes here at NU since the fall of 2015, explains how art has always been something she loves doing. She expresses how it is a joy and a blessing to share what she loves with other people.
“When I teach art, I get to dabble in a much more creative base and see other people produce things that I normally never would,” Aitken said.
One of Aitken’s favorite classes to teach is art and design because it incorporates various media, paints and ink. Additionally, this class talks about the primary colors and functions of art and how shapes and sizes can be utilized. One way students can express themselves in this class is by making album covers, where they choose a piece of music that inspires them personally or spiritually.
“I think that God gifted us all with creativity, but we live in a world where so many people are told you are not creative or you have to be really special to be creative, and I don’t think that is true,” Aitken said.
The beautiful thing about art is that we are given the capability to create something that reflects ourselves in a way that doesn’t need words. Being a part of a Christian university, whenever we engage in acts of creativity we are able to worship God through our actions.
Aitken ultimately wants her students to leave her classes with a new perspective of the world, whether in their own personal, spiritual or creative lives.
