On the evening of Feb. 18, University of Minnesota students sat clustered at tables supplied with canvases, paint and brushes. Accompanied by Reiki and Zen Meditation Music, the students painted their stress away near a beautiful sunset showing through the windows of Coffman’s Great Hall.

The event, called Make Time to Create, was sponsored by Boynton Health Service, Health Advocates, Student Unions & Activities and TCF Bank. The event was created to address the increasing number of students on campus who identify as having a mental health condition.

In 2015, about 33 percent of University of Minnesota students reported a mental health diagnosis in their lifetime, a sharp increase from 25 percent in 2007, according to Boynton College Student Health Surveys.

Dave Golden, Boynton’s director of public health and communications, said long-term chronic stressors appear to contribute to mental illness.

“One worthwhile strategy is getting students to manage stress before symptoms become unmanageable,” Golden said.

The art event, which drew only a few students, was part of a larger wellness challenge for the month of February called Make Time for You. The program engaged students in activities that promote physical wellness such as exercising and eating a healthy diet. At the end of each week, prizes including yoga mats and colored pencils were given away.

Those who attended Make Time to Create found themselves in a studio environment complete with a comforting hot chocolate bar and snacks nearby.

At the start, art student Greta Treiber provided a quick “Art 101” lesson to the students, showing ways to draw landscapes and self-portraits. From there, students painted freely.

Stylianos Daoutidis, a sophomore student studying economics, created a landscape painting of a beach that reflected where he would like to go.

“I think this painting is one of the best ways to de-stress and take my mind of things,” Daoutidis said.