Before I begin this blogpost, I would like to tell you a little about Romanticism and the Romantic Movement. It was an artistic, musical, intellectual and literary movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the eighteenth century and it peaked between the years 1800 to 1850. Romantics emphasised individualism, nature idealisation and spontaneity and believed that imagination was much more superior to reason and devotion to immaculate beauty. It emphasised emotion and individual rights of liberty, allowing you to see radiance in the smallest of things.
One of the best pieces of advice I could give to someone who hates school or doesn’t like learning in the school environment is to romanticise it – and I don’t mean this in a ‘hallway-crushes, boyfriend’s-and-girlfriend’s’ kind of way. I mean it more from the perspective of seeing the beauty and joy in all the little things you do in your day to day life. Imagine you are part of a club full of Romantic’s – artists who paint landscapes, poets who compose dreamy love poetry, lyricists who come up with such angelic rhythms and musicians who orchestrate the most charming melodies. A club for those who truly appreciate life – Claude Monet, Beethoven, Jane Austen, Victor Hugo, Mozart, Picasso, Lord Byron, and anyone else who you can think of who saw charm in day to day life. This way, you may find it easier to pick out pieces of joy and beauty from the simple things in life.
You might be thinking ‘how do I even begin to see school as a place of joy and beauty?’ and at first I would’ve completely agreed with you. I have always had a love-hate relationship with school – I found it harder to make friends, enjoy the busy environment and feel comfortable in a room full of thirty other people. My biggest issue was being uncomfortable taking up space in a classroom – but I am telling you, from experience, never be afraid to take up space. You deserve to be in that classroom learning about all the wonders of the world and I can assure you, 90% of the other people in that classroom have felt that way at least once in their life. So keep this in mind next time you set foot in the door of your classroom. The other thing I strongly disliked about school was the fast-paced environment. I truly hated it. But, I grew out of it with a little imagination. I know, imagination sounds rather silly, but it does work.
Picture this while you’re in a lesson you’re struggling to stay calm in: you’re in a bubble. You can’t hear anyone. Now close your eyes. Now, you’re rowing in Claude Monet’s garden – look at all the flowers and all the weeping willow trees! You can see them reflecting off of the still river, gleaming under the golden rays of the sun. All is tranquil and all is calm. You’re surrounded by the most beautiful flower bushes and up ahead is a bridge! Look! There are two little lovebirds sitting upon the rails, one pink and one blue! How picturesque! You’ve found inner peace from the beauty of your surroundings.
You may picture something else that is just as beautiful in your eyes – it doesn’t have to be Monet’s garden. My point is, if you struggle to stay calm in your lessons or during lesson change over's, put yourself in a place of serenity. It works; trust me. As far as little things go, they do not have to realistically be enjoyable, but you can romanticise them. For example, things like listening to music on your way to school or in your classes (if you’re allowed). Make a playlist of all your favourite songs. Or perhaps take something as tedious and boring as notetaking and turn it into something fun by using colours and setting them out in a way that physically appeals to you. Or what about your lunch hours? If you prefer to be alone at breaktimes, like I do, you could bring a book and immerse yourself in the world of enchanting stories to take you away from reality. Things like this just allow beauty and inspiration to be seen more closely in our usual, monotonous, dull routines. Make yourself the main character in your life. You can accomplish anything in the right mindset, and that involves getting through the tiresome school days, I promise.
Try it out – romanticise all the things you once perceived as boring and try to see the good. If you are an avid reader, pretend you’re the main character in one of your favourite books. I like to pretend I am a part of the classics group from the book, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, because of how endearing and lovely the setting is. An old, secluded New England college for liberal arts and humanities students is my dream setting, so I beg that you ask yourself: ‘what is my perfect setting?’ and place yourself there. Shift into that mindset. One could argue that romanticism is a form of self-care. So take a leaf out of the original Romantic’s books – William Blake, Percy Shelley, Monticelli, Herman Melville – some of the original 'imagineers' and pioneers of Romanticism and individual power, and live life by your own means. Embrace the beauty in the little things.
If you’d like any more information on this or any help at all, please send an email to studentlolablog@gmail.com – my inbox is open to everybody <3
Thank you for reading my blogpost! Stay tuned for more!
XOXO, always,
Lola
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