Boredom has become a lost art. In an age defined by constant connection and endless digital stimulation, stillness is often viewed as unproductive or even uncomfortable. Yet boredom once served an essential purpose — one that is quietly disappearing in the modern college experience.

We often describe perfection, determination or talent as the keys to success, yet we rarely mention creativity, as modern education actively suppresses it. Instead, we reward repetition and technical perfection over creative, original thought.

The festival will run from 4-10 p.m. on Saturday at Indian Spring Park. This year’s event will debut a bright, multicolored “alebrije” theme, said Julie Cervantes, Parade Director for Dia de los Muertos and Director of Strategic Development at Creative Waco. Cervantes said she expects attendees to go all out with the theme through their costumes and parade floats this year.

“In class, students can get caught up in grades and deadlines,” Linville said. “Here it’s just about experimenting and trying things out. The Riso helps show that creative work doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful.”

For many individuals, art becomes more than just an expression — it’s a lifeline.

Minimalism has killed people’s creativity to put purpose and character in the details, opting for more basic designs in the name of being more economical and sleek. In turn, it has led to what many see as inauthentic creations that are only small points in a significant trend.

Fashion, purpose, and community all in one night — Mission Waco’s Fashion With a Passion show isn’t just about outfits. It’s about uplifting young creatives within Waco.

On March 22, Kaptive Kandles will host “The Experience,” an event where attendees can immerse themselves in the art of candle making for $35. Open to participants ages 10 and up, the event invites the community to explore the craft in a welcoming, interactive setting.

Beyond making custom cookies, Keith also enjoys sharing her craft through cookie decorating workshops. She hosted classes in January and February and has another planned for April 12 at McLennan Community College from 10 a.m. to noon for $69.

This year marks the 31st celebration of the Beall Poetry Festival. Baylor will host three prominent poets: Carl Phillips, Victoria Chang and Christian Wiman — each of whom will provide insight and commentary on their work. Their readings and discussions will give attendees the chance to dive deeper into different forms and aspects of poetry.

And when you look at these photos, those split second pieces of life, you began to notice the little things. Everything, from the biggest celebrations to the intimacy of a quiet conversation becomes so much more detailed. The joy of a sports victory, the emotion and passion behind a protester’s chant, the tears at the edge of someone’s eyes when they speak of someone — everything is more alive, more human.

This spring, Stanton is bringing his passion to a new generation of artists. Throughout March and April, he will hold a weekly introduction to stained glass class where students will learn how to create different suncatchers — ranging from hummingbirds to chickens, dragonflies to tulips. The classes, held on Saturdays from 2-5 p.m., cost $100 per session.

With the rise of social media, interest has grown in what many call “grandma activities” — including baking, puzzles, gardening and, most notably, crocheting and knitting.

Creativity, passion and talent remain at the heart of Sing. For this year’s showcase, Seattle senior Reagan Christensen and Houston junior Camille Burton, of Zeta Tau Alpha Sing chairs, have taken the lead — working and collaborating to choreograph what they believe is a standout performance.

Students unleashed their creativity this past weekend at the Union Board’s “Lego Crazy” event where colorful bricks transformed the Bill Daniel Student Center into a hub of imagination, collaboration and fun.

“I think it really is an important part of the creative ecosystem of Waco because not only are you meeting folks that are interested in film, you are meeting folks that are musicians, they’re actors,” Hunter said.

Some of the most beautiful parts of life can be found in film, literature, art or any other creative endeavor. Writing off an entire hobby because they’re “film bro interests” or any other pretentious label does more harm than good. You’re isolating yourself from an entirely new world to explore, all out of fear of standing out too much.

The club is welcome to students of any major and art level, and Rigmaiden said that they are planning to have future presentations on “sculptures, installations and the artist’s workspace, as well as possibly an art fair where anyone in the club would be able to sell their own work.”

While a Maker’s Edge membership is currently $89 per month, they have a student discount that brings it down to $60. In collaboration, Moody Makerspace also offers one free pass a semester for students to use at Maker’s Edge.

“Greatness is subjective to some degree,” Kendrick said. “But to me, it’s the effectiveness of what they create. So if Steven Spielberg is trying to create a film that’s going to move you emotionally in a certain way or get you to feel or think about certain things, and he does that effectively, there’s a kind of greatness and that’s hard to do.”

“I think Hawaii just had a really big impact on music,” Siegfried said. “For me, it’s a very music culture-like island, and I went to a school of the arts for basically my whole life, from first grade to senior year of high school. And I think just being around a lot of students that were passionate about art, and it was a school of arts that was like painting, acting, dancing, like it was just, I was immersed in that art culture.”

Each year, the team works to build a car from nothing. The first step is to create 3D models of every single part of the car and then assemble those 2,000 parts to form a car model. From there, they buy the raw materials and machine and sand all the parts together.

“There’s a lot of creativity that goes into football and how you approach things,” Mastrodicasa said. “A lot of the work ethic is very similar to piano. There’s almost like a hyperfixation when you’re trying to learn a song. I think the same can be said when you’re trying to master a football technique or when you’re trying to get in the zone for a game. It’s very similar to just sitting at the piano for hours, just losing yourself in the music.”

It’s no secret Perry’s latest album, “143,” which was released on Sept. 20, has not been well-received by the general public, pop music fans and even some of Perry’s most dedicated followers. It’s obvious this album was intended to give bad girl vibes, but it was just plain bad. For those fans who have defended her through some of her rougher moments, “143” just might have been the last straw.

“Music will always be a part of my life, even if it’s just like sitting down to record an idea in just the little bit of free time I have or going on tours in the summer,” Garza said. “I’m definitely not going to stop playing music anytime soon. I still have ideas and these journal entries to put into songs. So all that is gonna continue for a long time.”

The heart of the Art Edu Exhibit highlights how educators of art are still talented artists themselves, and have been vital in passing down artistic and life skills to younger generations.

Every time a new movie adaptation rolls around, you can’t escape the criticisms that come with it. Everywhere you turn, you hear, “The book was better,” “They’re going to butcher the story by turning it into a movie” or “Did you hear that they aren’t including [insert character] in the movie?” And honestly, it’s getting a little old.

Our generation loves to hate on iPad kids, when in reality, we’re all just iPhone adults. How many times a week do you sit down on the couch, open TikTok and start scrolling? When you finally snap back into consciousness, three hours have passed — and you haven’t moved a muscle besides your thumbs. It’s an endless cycle known as “doom scrolling,” and I believe this phenomenon is killing not only our time but also our creativity.

Baylor should keep its policy in place and continue to not take a student’s quality of high school education into account with an unfair test. Students need to remain evaluated by their essays, transcript, resume and application itself — not by one number.

Audiences yearn for narratives that defy genre expectations and offer thought-provoking insights into what is relevant in the current day.