Welcome to arts, ink., where our student artists & writers are given a forum to illuminate the Michigan student experience through art.
Critter Comix Week 6 !
Thanksgiving travel taught me one thing: humanity was not built for the sky.
DRAGON COVE OF MYTHS, LEGENDS, AND STORIES: Chinese Dragons, Bringers of Luck and Fortune🐉
When you think of dragons, do you think of a giant scaly firebreathing lizard? Or maybe a god-like entity bringing wealth and good luck?
Nurturing Natives- Grey Fox
The grey fox is an omnivore that inhabits mostly forested and woody areas throughout North and South America, and tends to pray on small animals while also eating nuts and berries by climbing trees!
DRAGON COVE OF MYTHS, LEGENDS, AND STORIES: Eos, the Greek Goddess (and Protein) of the Dawn
“What a curious name for a protein,” I remember thinking to myself when my research mentor first introduced me to the substrate that I would be using for my research project.
Nurturing Natives- Sandhill Crane
Every year in the US, upwards of 600,000 sandhill cranes migrate south during the cool autumn months of September - November, and thousands can be spotted passing through Michigan!
Critter Comix Week 5 !
My brother’s doing college applications, which means he’s stressed, I’m stressed, and our house has basically become a live reenactment of my own application meltdown from two years ago
Nurturing Natives- Barn Owl
The barn owl, a nocturnal raptor, is strikingly haunting with its pale, moon-like face and wide eyes.
DRAGON COVE OF MYTHS, LEGENDS, AND STORIES: The Ghost King’s Tether, Love or Obsession?🌹
"If you don't know how to live on, then live for me." Chillingly grandiose, right? Just imagine someone being your sole reason to live, to exist even.
Getting There on Time |3|
Getting There on Time Week 3: working a Saturday Game Day shift edition
Verdict for this week: I Wish the Purdue Game Had Lasted Just 10 Minutes Longer </3
Nurturing Natives- Eastern Grey Squirrel
The eastern grey squirrel, easily identified by its tawny grey and brown fur and white belly, is found throughout Michigan in both urban and natural areas. They are also an incredibly common friend on campus, and The University of Michigan even has a designated Squirrel Club for lovers of these critters!
DRAGON COVE OF MYTHS, LEGENDS, AND STORIES: Nezha: Folk hero turned Pop Culture Sensation🔥
My digital take on Nezha with his characteristic fire-tipped spear and wind-fire wheels. Past designs of Nezha are more colorful and flowery, but the movie redesign still maintains the white lotus motif on his jacket.
Getting There on Time |2|
Getting There on Time week 2!
The verdict for this week: Absolute Failure
DRAGON COVE OF MYTHS, LEGENDS, AND STORIES: The Tragedy of Achilles and Patroclus, Confronting Grief and the Denial of Historically Queer Representation 🏹
Maybe you remember the huge Hollywood blockbuster, “Troy”, based on the Ancient Greek war epic, the Iliad, starring Brad Pitt as the famous mythological Greek hero, Achilles.
Critter Comix Week 2 !
All I see are carbonyls, all I feel is dread. Orgo II tomorrow. Panic is temporary, but freedom is 30 hours away (if the reaction mechanism don’t eat me first).
Nurturing Natives- Michigan Monkeyflower
The Michigan monkeyflower is a small flowering plant endemic to Michigan, meaning it exists no place else in the wild. Found only in the Grand Traverse and Mackinac Straits area, the flower is listed as endangered and relies on clean running water to productively reproduce and thrive.
Getting There on Time | 1 |
Welcome to Getting There on Time where I chronicle my attempts at getting to all my commitments on time!
The verdict for this week: Overall Success (?)
If you’re a U-M student from any of U-M’s three campuses, and you’re interested in becoming a weekly contributor, there may be a position available to get paid for your work.
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arts, ink. is a series of weekly posts that illuminate the Michigan student experience through art. A staff of U-M students are paid to create and share weekly artistic content. This content can include a wide range of artforms- writing about art, comics, poetry, photo essays, sketchbook excerpts, illustrations, storytelling videos, flash fiction, interviews with artists, mini-concerts, artistic video diaries, and more! arts, ink. incorporates a wide variety of student-created arts content— all with the idea of getting readers to discover new things and think about the arts in new ways.
Deadlines to submit your application:
September 20, 2025
January 27, 2026
Applications submitted after the deadline will be reviewed in the next available window.
Hired writers receive about $36/week, and are expected to post new creative work once per week. We'd love to read your concept proposal!
Questions? Email arts@umich.edu.