From nifty knitters to precise painters, social media has influenced thousands of teens to embrace their creative side during the quarantine stage of the pandemic. Despite the odds of the multitude of hobbies becoming old fads, certain pastimes have stuck and impacted people’s lives in incredible ways. Especially considering the relationships gained from massive communities, the influx of  coming together for projects gives individuals the perfect potion to create jaw-dropping pieces. 

Crocheting/Knitting

While not the same process, a plethora of teens have grabbed a needle or two to craft incredible projects. Notorious for extensive pieces, crochet and knitting reveal their ability to become fantastic stress relievers; participants enjoy the exact detail needed within each stitch. Additionally, the reported sense of accomplishment through completing crafts motivates entire pages on social media dedicated to documenting every step taken. 

“I started crocheting in elementary school, I started [with] small things like hats and stuff. My mom and her mom both crochet and it’s truly a generational thing. When I first saw that it was trending I was a little mad. I was like ‘I’ve been doing this forever and now all of a sudden everyone else wants to pretend that they were originally at it, but I’ve changed since then. Now I’m really happy about it because there’s more things to do around it; more patterns, styles and ideas,” magnet senior Valeria Alvarado said.

Poetry Writing

Recently, adolescents have expanded their Shakespearean process beyond roses and violets. Poetry, either by analysis or creation, skyrocketed in popularity over the course of  2022, mainly through pieces like “Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kupar. Free verse, poetry without rhyme, allows people to express their internal feelings beyond measures and traditional means. The creative movement sparked intense passion amongst poets, to the point of birthing a new wave of interest in philosophical ideas–particularly absurdism.

Painting

With a couple strokes of a paintbrush, charcoal pencil or pen practically anyone could create pieces as spectacular as the Mona Lisa. Students and teens of all ages use different forms of media to express their emotions visually. Similar to poetry, visual art continues to shift dramatically from traditional, realistic styles to cartoony and expressive. Regardless, the emotional attachment an artist garners for their craft still stands.

“I’ve started loving that everyone is loving it too,” Alvarado said.