Some days can feel too loud, too slow, or too stressful, which is something many students find difficult to cope with. For Sam Beauchamp, 10, peace is found in a pencil, a brush, or a splash of paint. Beauchamp has taken fundamentals of art,

painting I, and is currently in painting II and drawing I, which provides them with different ways to experiment and create their ideas. 

“I love the feeling I get when I have finally finished a sketch and get to begin working on the actual artwork,” they said. 

Art also helps Beauchamp handle stress in a way like no other.

“Sketching out a design and blending pencil strokes are some of the only things that really help,” said Beauchamp. “ I have fun doing it too, which makes it even better.” 

Art gives Beauchamp a change to focus on something they genuinely love, beyond stress relief. 

Beauchamp gets a rush of excitement when starting a new piece, which returns when they finally decide it’s finished. 

“It’s kinda hard to explain, but it’s one of my favorite things,” said Beauchamp. “The day that I start a piece, I do everything I can to work on it for as long as possible because I feel like I’m on a roll.”

One memory that sticks out to Beauchamp is from a rough day when they sat on the floor painting and stayed after school working on it. 

“It made my day a lot better,” said Beauchamp. “I felt more calm and less frustrated.”

For Beauchamp, art is a way to relax, clear their mind, and enjoy something that’s completely their own.