Students embrace their creative side in college

Students embrace their creative side in college A painted record for sale from The Cozy Mushroom Cafe business, in Plemmons Student Union April 27. Business owner and senior management major Grace Hice paints records, makes earring holders, designs stickers, tote bags and shirts. Mady Helt Students embrace their creative side in college Mady Helt, Reporter October 14, 2026 Categories: A&C Art/Design Art comes in many forms, from music to sculpting, painting, graphic design and much more. At App State, there are countless ways students express their creativity, with many continuing their artistic endeavors after graduating. Many students pursue their work on top of a busy school schedule. One example of this is junior electronic media and broadcasting major Logan Perry, also known as “XOC,” a music and visual media creator. Logan Perry, a junior electronic media and broadcasting major, stands in the stairwell of Plemmons Student Union April 29. Perry expresses his creativity under the name “XOC” by making music and visual media. (Mady Helt) Perry’s projects combine music, script and film creation, and through them, he said he is able to do what he loves while also giving back to those who support him. During his time at App State, Perry has been able to discover how he wants to change and grow in the future. He hopes to build on all aspects of his art by creating characters and themes he can continue to add depth to as his work progresses. Perry often reflects that it may not be possible to pursue art as a career in the current state of the world, yet he doesn’t want to stop creating. “I really believe that’s what makes me feel fulfilled, especially as a young adult. I would hope that my career takes me somewhere where I can do that freely or build a career off of that if I could,” Perry said. Many students choose to create art utilizing tactile mediums. Allison Walter, a senior studio art major, does multidisciplinary work, taking the techniques she has learned and using them to create something unique, including pottery, screen printing, fiber work, painting, metal work and more. Mel Mandle, a recent graduate of App State with a bachelor’s in studio art, uses mediums such as book printing and binding, oil paint, printmaking, screen printing and photography to capture what inspires them. Grace Hice is a senior business management major and the owner of The Cozy Mushroom Cafe. She sells painted vinyl records, turning them into wall decor, earring holders and clocks. She also designs stickers and tote bags. While each of these artists has a different way of expressing their creativity, they share similar career goals: continue their artistic journey after graduating. Walter said she has always been a creative person, and nothing motivates her like a fresh idea. Professionally, this is when she does her best work. Allison Walter, a studio art major, in the second-floor lounge of Plemmons Student Union April 29. Walter is a mixed media artist who combines many different forms of creation into each of her pieces. (Mady Helt) Since graduating, Mandle has continued to create new pieces while working full time. She said she will work on her creative endeavors as a side hustle until she goes back to school for a master’s program to build on her skills. Hice, on the other hand, is looking to eventually move her business into a physical cafe, where she can advertise her own work as well as pieces from other local artists. Each of these artists has gone through the difficulties associated with creating, including navigating artist’s block and doubting their success. Mandle has reframed her artist’s block, thinking of it as her body telling her to do something other than what she had initially intended. It’s not just inspiration that can be a struggle to obtain when creating art; there is difficulty in finding motivation to create, especially when busy with other work. Mandle said since starting a full-time job, it’s been difficult for her to find the motivation to create. To make it easier for herself, she sets up her home studio so her supplies are readily accessible whenever she feels the desire to make art. Perry said he sets a very high standard for all the work he produces, using famous icons Lady Gaga, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch and other artists as inspirations to create the best work. He uses everything he sees in media that inspires him as a model for his production, which he recognizes as “ridiculous, but at the same time, it’s a good way to push yourself to try something new when you have crazy standards.” Mel Mandle’s senior thesis titled “Remnants” displayed in the Smith Gallery in the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts May 25. Each of these pieces is five-by-seven feet, displaying the role that chairs play when people are not present in them. (Courtesy of Mel Mandle) For Hice, she finds joy in the collaboration of doing commissioned work. “I love working with other people, trying to figure out what makes them most happy because it doesn’t matter what I want with a commission. I want to make sure that whatever they get is exactly what they want,” Hice said. There are many doubts that may arise when pursuing art in any form. Some advice for navigating those doubts is to advocate for yourself; never assume you’re unqualified and just do what you love. Perry encourages anyone interested in art to “just try to do something, make something, because it’s really rewarding, then you might just find something you really like.” Walter said everyone should try to get involved wherever they can. She recalled her internship where she helped design an artisanal wine bar alongside an interior designer in Raleigh, an opportunity she said she got after applying despite feeling unqualified. Walter encourages everyone to make “bad art,” which she doesn’t truly believe exists as long as art is made with emotion, to eventually create great art you are proud of. She said it must exist “like rings on a tree. You have to start at the center and spiral outward in order to get where you need to be.” View Story Comments 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Leave a Comment Tags: Art art students Creativity Donate to The Appalachian $400 $2,500 Contributed Our Goal We hope you appreciated this article! Before you move on, please consider supporting The Appalachian's award-winning journalism. The bulk of our operational expenses — including printing, website hosting, training, and entering our work into competitions — is dependent upon advertising revenue and donations. We cannot exist without the support, whether financial or otherwise, of our fellow departments on campus, our local and regional businesses, and donations of time and money from alumni, parents, subscribers and friends. If you would prefer to make a tax-deductible donation or a recurring monthly gift, please give to The Appalachian Student News Fund through the university here: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/54088/donations/new?designation_id=faa93386& Donate