Students at St. Joan Antida High School use art to stay unplugged

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- In the age of social media, finding ways to stay offline can be hard. For a group of students at St. Joan Antida High School, art is the answer.

Inside the bright hues of CC Braunreiter’s class, students find solace.

“Things are heavy, the world is heavy. So, if they can find a creative outlet where they can feel super comfortable expressing themselves and then being able to share that out in this environment," said Braunreiter.

There’s no comparison, likes, or clicks inside this room.

“I can remove myself from social media. Social media has a negative impact on me," said art student Guadalupe. “There’s a lot of hate on social media and it can it easily impact someone.”

All of those emotions are put onto a canvas.

“A lot of the times, students like me, we can’t really put what we’re feeling into words and so that’s why we make art," said art student Touie.

Sometimes they’re put into spoken word.

“Poetry is just an easy way for me to express how I feel without hurting myself or other people," said art student Lydia.

For Guadalupe, her work has made its way to the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West end.

“I feel proud of myself, this is something I would’ve never thought I would do, so I feel, like, honored and proud," said Guadalupe.

Inside Braunreiter’s classroom, art is more than just an outlet.

“We want more art in our community because it brings beauty and joy into our community," said Guadalupe.

It’s a way to give back.

“My work has touched a lot of people. It may not have touched the whole world, but one day we’ll get there," said Lydia.