The general thought is that attending college, holding a job and finding time to express one’s self creatively is hard accomplish, that between tests, homework and hectic work hours, most students hardly have time to sleep and eat, let alone create anything.

This assumption is false. There is plenty of extra time in a student’s life.. We must, however, learn to seize the moment.

The first step is to recognize those moments, like the periods after completing homework or studying but long before having to go to work. Those are the times to stretch your creative muscles.

Yes, I get it; it can be difficult mentally. You just want to relax or do something fun. Trust me on this — when you get back into doing something you love, it makes all the pain from the mundane work of your education and job disappear.

Whether you are a writer, a photographer, a painter, an actor or something else, you deserve to be creative and to spend some time with your imagination. So, when you are tired from school work or your job, take a deep breath and clear your head. Then just delve straight into your art.

Now, I’m not saying completely forget about homework or studying. Your education is important, but so is your need for creative expression. If you can intertwine the two, then you are golden.

Instead of playing that video game or visiting with friends during your rare free time, do something for yourself. Your mind needs attention too.

If you are like me, you find it hard to focus on anything creative during the semester out of fear of forgetting something from one of your classes. That is understandable, but here is the thing — if you have kept good notes and stayed on top of your assigned work, you should be fine.

As students, our default is to overwhelm ourselves and stress out over all the chaos in our lives. Just take a moment to calm down and write a list of what tasks you need to do.

Then get to it. Make the time. Remember that your creative life is as important as your other responsibilities.Do not quell the creative fire that burns in you. You should not hold back, not with anything that counts. Don’t be afraid to stand out either.

You can do this.