No one ever thought that normalizing the word ‘quarantine’ would be a part of daily life, but it has become routine for many students to hear. Luckily for some, being stuck at home can jumpstart their creative side. Over the summer, multiple Winthrop students have decided to start a new hobby or continue one that they may have forgotten about. With this new lifestyle of not being able to connect with people as often, they have begun to fill their time with activities such as creating small businesses, making accessories and painting.
Layla Johnson, a biology major, says that she has “started painting and creating a lot more.” Johnson decided to start painting because she “got bored” while being stuck at home and she wanted to “remember what [she] used to do” when she was younger.
While the painting started off slowly at first, she does “it often” and “maybe once every two weeks.” According to Johnson, her favorite part about creating the pieces was “how great the final product looked.”
Getting through quarantine while practicing social distancing can be difficult, but when Johnson explained how her skill has helped get her through it she said, “I love it and that it just gives me an outlet, something to do to get my mind off of what is going on in the world.”
Some students picked up hobbies during this time that could lead to starting a business, such as psychology major, Latajah Lambright. Her skills gained during quarantine included “learning how to cook, do nails and also learning new things about [herself].” Lambright said that one of the things that made her decide to develop some of her skills was “money.” She continued to say she works on doing nails about “two to three times a week” and that she cooks “two times a week.”
While she says that these are just things “to keep [her] busy,” she has grown to have a great interest in both. According to her, the best part about doing nails is “shaping them and the colors” of the nails.
Another student that will be attending Winthrop has her own unique skill that she decided to bring back into her life. Trinity Key, a music instrumental education major, has “started making earrings” during her time in quarantine. Key said that “I actually used to do it as a kid. I’ve missed doing it but did not have enough time to put effort and actual detail into my work. Now that I have time, I decided to pick it up again.”
Having this kind of hobby “has helped keep [her] busy and do what [she] loves again.” She spends a good amount of time on the earrings to perfect each pair she does. Key said she “likes to make them in bulk,” which is usually about “ten to 15 pairs at a time, so it will take around an hour to make all of them.” This new passion she has for making earrings makes her want to take her time with every pair she makes. In regards to the best part about making them, Key said, “my favorite part of making them is that I know it’s something I’ve made myself and it’s cool to know that I did it.”
It is a great thing that students can still be able to push themselves to try new things even with this new way of life. Quarantine itself has been the topic of the year and picking up new skills has given students a chance to take a breather from what is going on in the world. The creative minds of Winthrop students will continue to grow even as the fall semester begins.
Photo by Kaily Paddie
