You may think that taking an art class is a waste of time –  that what you took in high school would be all the art you ever needed. However, taking an art course in college can benefit you in a lot of ways that you may not know.

Taking an art course is, first of all, good for your well-being, according to scientific studies, as well as various websites such as heritage1886.org. Drawing can be nostalgic and make you feel like a kid again. It allows you to express yourself in a different way. It is also a great way to relax and ease your mind for a while (which is much-needed for college students).

Another advantage of taking an art course is what you will learn in the process. You will, intentionally, or not, be able to obtain a pretentious air to yourself when you complain about all of the gesture drawings you needed to finish by Monday. Other than fancy lingo, you’ll most likely learn some history in the process and be able to expand your knowledge of the world. You know what they say: knowledge is power.

Creating art expands your ways of thinking. It teaches you to see without your mind and just your eyes. For example, the drawing above is a blind contour drawing, meaning it was done without looking at the paper and without lifting the pen from the paper. This technique teaches this ability to see with just your eyes.

This teaches you to train your eyes not to see what you perceive with your brain. You directly draw what is in front of you without the blockage of your mind altering what you’re drawing. The benefits of having such an ability can increase your art skills significantly. The more you train, the better you will be. You will feel all the more satisfied with being able to create a piece of art that you are proud of.

Taking an art course teaches patience and resilience. When being asked to sit down and draw or paint for two hours, you need to be okay with silence. You need to accept that your drawing will take hours to finish, but that you will try your hardest to please that art professor. And when you do, the feeling is glorious.