On Thanksgiving each year, we reflect on the things we are thankful for, saying how we should express those feelings more often than on the lone holiday.

Nevertheless, here I am, a handful of days before Thanksgiving, sharing what I’m grateful for.

It’s almost hard to write about the things I’m grateful for when there are so many things I want to express thanks for.

And for that, I feel blessed.

So, though I could go on and on about the family, friends, things, etc. that I’m thankful for, I’ll narrow in on something I talk quite a bit about and am continuously appreciative of: art and the role it has played in my life.

If you’ve read my column before, chances are you’ve read about how much I adore art. If you haven’t, here I am telling you it’s something I enjoy talking about and am so grateful for.

Either way, I’ve loved art since I was a kid. As I grew up, I continued to find new ways to appreciate it and express that, often through art.

I’m grateful for the way it helped me become who I am.

Growing up, I was blessed that my parents could provide virtually any kind of art supplies I dreamed of. From something as simple as crayons to eventually owning my professional camera, I’m glad to have had them and the joy they brought me.

I’m thankful for my creative parents, who not only taught me how to make different kinds of art but for being an extra set of hands or eyes on my projects whenever needed. I’m grateful they helped me find what mediums I most enjoyed and encouraged me to practice and perfect them.

My parents never deterred me from making art or even pursuing it in college. And I’m thankful for that, seeing as I probably wouldn’t be where I am right now if I’d taken a different path.

I’m grateful for everything art has taught me about myself, others, and the world around me.

Going through college to receive my degree in studio art and writing allowed me to try my hand at things I may have never had the chance to do otherwise.

Yes, my classes taught me about technique and art history, but they also taught me about how I see myself and how I choose to present myself. It showed me how others express themselves through their art, giving me an understanding of the endless personalities, cultures, thought processes, and more that surround us.

Art gives me hope in ways other things might not be able to.

I’m grateful for the comfort that art provides me.

Last week, I stopped by Alpena Community College’s art center to check out an exhibit featuring works from the Northeast Michigan Artist Guild members.

The exhibit, by the way, is still on view through Nov. 29, so I highly recommend checking it out.

But, while I was there, I felt at home.

The place was foreign to me. I’d never really been to the college before, let alone the art center, but I felt at ease thanks to the art presented in the gallery and plastered in the hallways.

For four years, I went to Grand Valley State University. Throughout my time there, I spent more hours in GVSU’s art center than I did in any other building on campus. It was a place of comfort, of promise, of reflection.

Being in ACC’s art center and glancing into the classrooms made me feel a bit more like myself, showing me how art, even in a place I’d never been before, brought me that same solace. Seeing others working on their art made me feel like it was a place I belonged.

It was what I knew, what I connected with, and it brought me joy.

So, while I’m eternally grateful for my family and friends and all the other wonderful things in my life, I’m also so thankful for the self-discovery, comfort, teachings, and more that art has shown me.

It’s easy to say what we’re thankful for, but it’s another thing to express why, what something or another truly means to us.

This Thanksgiving, as you list all the things you’re thankful for, consider adding the why.

Taking a step back and reflecting on those things may make you appreciate them more, in turn being more grateful for them on days other than Thanksgiving.

Torianna Marasco can be reached at 989-358-5686 or tmarasco@thealpenanews.com.