Childhood ends the second we graduate high school. 

From innocent ink trails on white walls to impulsive performances put on for parents in the living room, childhood is known as the Creative Era in a person’s life. 

However, the wild imaginations bred from our childhood years do not have to stop short. 

For me, I live in a world of fantasies and pure creativity, leaping from one extracurricular to the next. I have been a part of theatre since the age of five and have performed in a total of 37 productions throughout my lifetime. 

During the pandemic, I found a love for writing and began to compose fictional short stories that went nowhere. That was seventh grade, almost four years ago. Now, I have a completed first draft of a fantasy novel, which I hope to publish in the next year. 

I also found a wild fascination with the cello and have been a part of the Orchestra since seventh grade. I learned to play the beautiful instrument during distance learning, making me self-taught on the cello. 

The ironic aspect of all these hobbies is I want to strive to use all of them in my career and adulthood.

But no one is interested in my life story. So, I will refrain from dumping paragraphs about my fascination with the arts. 

Instead, I was able to gather information from interviews about different hobbies. 

Junior Mindy Dao said her hobby was boxing. When asked if she would plan to use the sport in the future, she did not see potential success for boxing in her career. However, Dao also said, “I just see it [boxing] as a way to express myself. I can also get rid of extra stress and it makes me calm.” 

From her evaluation of her hobby, it is easy to pin multiple positives to the subject. With the added pressure from academics, stress has woven strings of anxiety into our life’s tapestry. Therefore, multiple outlets are required to not have an excessive overdrive in simple hassles. 

For Dao, boxing provides that needed release. 

Junior Victoriah Coutino said her hobby was painting. “[Painting] might play a part in my career because I want to be an architect,” she said. Coutino also mentioned she wanted to paint landscapes in architecture, fueling that creative nature carried over from childhood. 

Being an active artist, Coutino is building upon her imagination and preparing for a future career simultaneously. 

Painting might seem to be a flimsy career choice. However, mixing fantasy with profession, especially during high school, can spark excitement for adulthood. 

Freshman Adriana Montoya said she plays sports, specifically soccer. Montoya said, “I think I do want to continue playing soccer, but not as a career.” 

Even though Montoya might not pursue a career in her sport, she will definitely play the game after she graduates high school. Staying active and healthy is a large positive in sustaining a strong life. The strategies in soccer can also improve the mind over time, and team rapport found in the sport helps build moral social relationships. 

Senior Sophia Smart said her hobby was reading. She agreed she would continue to read into adulthood and said, “I want to be an English major and Journalist.” With this career path, reading and an understanding of grammar can be very beneficial for Smart. 

It has also been scientifically proven that reading reduces stress, improves concentration and memory, and increases one’s imagination and creativity. 

Sophomore Luke Reyes said he liked to play video games, particularly “Fortnite”. Reyes said “No, I don’t think I’ll use video games in my career.” However, by playing them actively now, many teenagers are improving many aspects of their lives. 

From improving in problem-solving and multitasking to establishing socialization with others, video games have many beneficial characteristics. 

Sophomore Sean Ronnie plays sports, weight lifts, and plays video games as well. “I think I will [continue my hobby] due to my athletic ability.” 

Similar to the previous examples listed, sports help a person stay active and video games allow for problem-solving and outside-of-the-box thinking. 

For teenagers, the number one stress factor is school. From looming assignments to aggravating grades, school has proven to be quite a bear and greatly affects a student’s mental health. 

For the students who don’t participate in hobbies and only focus on assignments, a spiral of stress can easily attack the emotional center, declining into burnout. 

From reducing stress to improving mental health, creative stimulation is a gift to today’s society. 

We live in a world of social media, notable for its death scroll. So, when we’re presented with an option to help brain stimulation and improve mental health, why not jump for imagination? 

Especially when hobbies don’t end after high school.