Mental health issues can stick with you your whole life, even as you heal. Young people need the support of the older generations of people in their lives. Knowing you aren’t alone in your feelings, and that other people have experienced what you feel, is crucial to the process of healing. Being open is the bridge that will connect us all to each other.
The deer represents the commodification of animals in human society, the belief that animals exist only for the pervasive needs or wants of humanity — for food, clothes, entertainment, spectacle, and the like. Animal rights are not often advocated for in spaces of hope and justice. It is important that we value our Earth and the other beings on it, despite our inability to verbally communicate with them. This piece of art brings into light the lack of respect toward animals.
The point of my film is to bring awareness to what someone who is struggling with mental health is dealing with. My main goal was to highlight what individuals are going through and that they can find help by reaching out.
My painting represents not being afraid to express yourself. When you start being yourself, your world begins to light up and you start to shine like a star. I want my artwork to show that you can do whatever makes you glow.
My painting focuses on the irony of machismo in Mexican culture involving the Virgin Mary (Aka the Virgen de Guadalupe). The Virgin Mary is a staple in Mexican society and is very well known and respected. The irony is that so many men will go to church worshipping and praying to this woman, but behind closed doors they’re ignoring the true meaning behind the Virgin Mary and treating the women in their own lives in ways that they would never treat the well-respected Virgin Mary.
Love. When this word is said, we often think of friends or family or things we enjoy. What we don’t always think about is the importance of reminding the people you care about that you love them. Everyone has their own ways to show love, but not everyone feels like they are being shown it. By showing or reminding someone you love them, you might be showing a little light to someone who feels like they are in the dark.
Lyrics:
All you really need is a little love
Give a little love
It not that hard
To show you care
Oh just give a little love
Show a little love
Dont make them feel like no one cares
Sometimes people feel like
Nobody cares and nobodys there
Sometimes people have a bad day
It’s nice to try to lighten their mood in some way
Sometimes life gets hard
And things get a little dark
Just show them some light
It can change a person’s life
All you really need is a little love
Give a little love
It not that hard
To show you care
Oh just give a little love
Show a little love
Dont make them feel like no one cares
Hurt people hurt other people
Sometimes that’s all they know how to do
Help ’em out a little bit
Show them what kindness is
Its really not that hard
To be a little nice
Theres so many ways
You can improve others lives
All you really need is a little love
Give a little love
It not that hard
To show you care
Oh just give a little love
Show a little love
Dont make them feel like no one cares
Love oh love
Sometimes all someone really needs
Is to be shown that they are loved
Love oh love
Just show them that they are loved
Give a little love
In February 2025, a Russian drone strike hit the protective dome covering the original sarcophagus over the reactor site of Chernobyl. With the upcoming rainy season, radioactive particles could escape and further infect the environment (and potentially, human life). I wish for peace between Russia and Ukraine. I wish for the shell to be repaired before it can cause lasting problems for our health and ecosystems.
I chose the word “connection” because of how important socialization and connection with peers is to youth, especially those struggling with mental health issues (or even those who have struggled in the past).
My painting centers on the emotional concept of saudade – a profound, nostalgic feeling, which is conveyed through the image of a woman lying on a lake filled with beautiful flowers. The piece captures the bittersweet transition between childhood and adulthood and the emotional depth and discovery that happens during adolescence. Although sometimes feared, these changes make us stronger. The message celebrates the magical, raw emotions of youth that adults often forget and reminds us all of the importance of dreaming, feeling, and believing. The green ribbon laced over the woman represents a feeling of happiness and relaxation that helps us continue to grow.
“We are all Connected. Family. Friends. Coworkers. Peers. From the moment you came into being and up to where you are today, These people have been a part of your life. From your happiest days to your lowest, from all walks of life, and from different generations, they have seen what you have been through. Sadness, Anger, Happiness, feeling Alone, feeling Hurt, feeling Stressed; They have been through it all as well. If you feel as though no one understands you, Just know that there is someone out there that does. Someone who knows exactly what you’re feeling, someone who knows how to make your day just a little brighter, and someone who can be a shoulder to cry on. That’s what Connection is for. Take a moment today to find that someone, because they may just be right next to you. What does Connection mean to you?”
-Sergio F.