COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s finals week for college students and that usually means stress and anxiety.
At The Ohio State University, one organization on campus is putting students’ mental health first by using creativity. Paint and poetry. Two artistic outlets that are therapeutic for the college students.
Isaiah Thomas is a graduating senior at The Ohio State University who says events like this are a time for students to take a break from all the studying and to actually take care of themselves.
“So it's easy for students to put everything besides themselves first," said Thomas. "It's easy to get caught into doing homework, taking care of your obligations, going to different meetings. But you often, students often forget that their mental health is actually the top priority because that's your mental health. You can't function, you can't work efficiently."
An advocate for mental health, Thomas even pushed himself out of his comfort zone and performed spoken word poetry for the first time. He did this not only for his own growth, but to also be a positive example of putting himself out there for those uncomfortable mental health conversations.
“I feel like it's hard to advocate something if you're not putting yourself in that space. And mental health is a very uncomfortable topic for a lot of people, including myself. So the best way to overcome it and start making that change that's needed to put myself in those uncomfortable spaces. To find that balance, find that growth that I need,” said Thomas.
Interim director of the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center and one of the organizers of the event, Dr. Summer Luckey says moments like this are imperative for student success.
“Yeah I think with the seasons changing as well as the pressure of finals week, it's very important to allow our students, especially our black students, a space where they can come and decompress and just be,” said Dr. Luckey.
When asked about why they chose paint and poetry, Dr. Luckey says Thomas helped with the idea because of his own mental health journey and he wanted to share with his peers.
“Isaiah Thomas actually had that idea of tying in spoken word because in his personal journey he had started writing poetry and he saw how it impacted him and how he was navigating transitions in his life and wanted to share that with his student body,” said Dr. Luckey.
The idea of everyone being an artist was top of mind for these students, including Thomas.
“So painting is a hobby. Abstract isn’t my top choice but aye that’s what we’re on. Your mind is an abstract space, so that’s what we’re on today,” said Thomas.
From different objects that promote wellness to painting and poetry, the students are prioritizing their mental health so they can be successful in and out of the classroom.