When the Soul Speaks in Color

This National Arts Month, a promising Baybayanon artist reminds fellow creatives that art begins not in talent, but in courage — the courage to follow even the smallest urge to create.

“If a tiny spark in your heart tells you to pick up a brush and express yourself, follow it.”

These words come from Schara Abanera Sabijon, a fine arts enthusiast and a Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies student at Visayas State University. Soft-spoken yet passionate, Sabijon carries a quiet confidence shaped not by formal studios but by persistence and curiosity.

Her love for art began in childhood, long before she ever held painting materials. However, it was during the pandemic in 2023, when time slowed and isolation deepened reflection, that she truly began painting. With no formal mentor, she turned to online tutorials, patiently studying techniques and repeating brush strokes until they felt natural. What started as experimentation soon became expression.

Today, Sabijon is a member of BANAAG, the university’s visual arts organization, and a former participant of the Special Program in the Arts at Baybay National High School. She has attended a visual arts workshop at the university, but much of her artistic growth, she admits, came from practicing alone, learning through mistakes and small victories.

She paints whenever time allows, often on weekends or during long breaks from academic work. One of her recent pieces was created using gouache on A4 watercolor paper (8.27 × 11.69 inches). Beyond practice, painting serves a deeper purpose, it is her refuge. Each week, she uploads her artworks to Instagram, not merely to showcase them but to release stress and emotions accumulated through daily life.

For Sabijon, art is not about flawless technique or visual perfection. It is about sincerity, allowing feelings to exist outside the mind and onto the canvas.

“The most beautiful gift of being an artist isn’t in making something ‘perfect’ or ‘pretty’… it’s in the freedom to let your soul speak. What matters is that it makes sense to you. Just keep creating.”

As National Arts Month celebrates Filipino creativity, Sabijon’s story reflects its heart: art does not demand mastery before beginning. Sometimes, all it asks is that you listen and let your soul speak in color.

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 © 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐑𝐆 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐏𝐡. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.