The New Nation - Internet Edition

Sumon Sarwar

Everyone needs some time to themselves to reflect on their feelings. Being able to express how you feel may help you make better decisons about what is right for you now.

Being creative helps you achieve your goals more effectively. It leads you to new pathways, and you will hardly believe what you find out about yourself. It's also a way of venting, and for teenagers, a way of finding yourself.

Expressing yourself can help you keep in touch with how you are feeling. It can also release a lot of tension that you may be carrying around with you. Sometimes when people get out of touch with how they feel, their feelings burst out in situations or ways that are embarrassing or inappropriate.

Never think of yourself too seriously. Don't put pressure on yourself to be perfect! If you don't have restrictions on yourself, it gives you more room to just let yourself flow creatively. Don't worry about being perfect. Perfection is boring anyway, and it's also kind of…unoriginal.

Find a place that inspires you and that will help spark your creativity. Maybe you like a place that is quiet and feels private to you, such as the outdoors - calm, serene, and beautiful. Or maybe you have a bright colorful room that makes you feel artistic. Maybe you like starry nights - whatever it is, revel in it!

Experiment with different mediums. Never be afraid to try something new. If you want to try sculpting, go for it! If you don't like it, you can always just stop. But how will you know whether or not you're a secret writing/painting/sewing genius is you never try it?

Meditate. Relax. Get away from the outside world. Forget about the grocery shopping you have to do. You are in your own personal space - be with yourself.

Find examples. If you think you might be interested in art, go to an art museum or find artists online. If you like writing, read a variety of books and investigate classical authors. It's a type of self-education, and it's what separates the true intellectuals from everybody else: a willingness to explore, learn, and discover.

Consider starting a journal to use everyday. It doesn't even have to be the kind of journal that you write in. It could be a doodle journal, or a sketch journal, or a poetry journal. Just use it to record your emotions day-to-day, in a place where no one can see them if you don't want them to.

Be yourself! Even though you are consciously trying to be more expressive, it doesn't mean that you have to act like a totally different person.

Ways of Expressing Yourself

Finding out the best way for you to express yourself can be rewarding. You may find that you enjoy expressing yourself in a particular way, such as painting, playing sport, singing, drumming, or even doing something like kicking ball or yelling at a tree. If you don't know what way suits you, try some of the following suggestions.

Write About How you Feel

Writing may be a useful way to explore your feelings. Some people keep diaries, others just write down whatever comes into their head. You may want to write a story about whatever is happening in your life now (try 'Scream it Dream it'), or even make up a story based on some past event in your life. Writing poetry works for some people so you might like to try that.

Play Sport

Playing sport lets you express yourself in a physical way. There are plenty of opportunities to yell or curse or feel elated when things go well. Team sports allow you to express yourself and combine your energy with others both in verbal and non-verbal ways.

Draw or Paint

Even if you don't think of yourself as artistic, drawing and painting are useful ways of expressing yourself. No one else has to see what you do. You may just want to experiment with drawing lines, sketching, colours and so on.

Sing, Play Music, or Shout

Singing along to your favourite songs or playing a musical instrument is another way to express yourself. Sing in the shower or out in a park. If you play an instrument or sing regularly you may find that you even start writing your own songs or music to express how you feel.

Dance

Dance is a form of self-expression. Put on some music at home or go out and dance as much as you like.