“People are so set in their ways and don’t have hope for what their lives could be if they broke the cycle of depression in their lives that is holding them back from success. As someone who is autistic, it can feel like I’m the ‘outcast’ or the ‘weed’ who can’t have hope or succeed in life because I am disabled. I wrote this poem to show people who are on the spectrum or don’t feel worthy that [they] can still find hope and live a life beyond what others think [they can].”
“My entry is a reflection of attempting to overcome mental struggles. What I wanted to highlight and bring attention to is the fact that after overcoming mental struggles, you aren’t actually cured. You still live and cope with things, and it will never truly go away. But, if you have help from people who love and care about you, you can learn to comfortably live with your pain and struggles. Instead of being engulfed by the pain, or ‘the storm,’ you can learn to live, or even thrive, in the center. This is why my piece is part of the hope category, because however dark it might start out, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, or in the eye of the storm.”
“Trauma can be difficult for people to speak up about. It’s even harder to talk about your trauma when you don’t have people who are supportive and willing to take you seriously. It’s very important that people have someone to talk to about their traumatic experiences [with], because talking about it helps in overcoming it; it’s also important that people recognize their ability to create safe spaces. […] I have overcome my own trauma thanks to my friends who have given me a place where I feel safe and comfortable enough to talk about it.”
“I chose this category because I know that many people struggle with mental health and I wanted to make this art for them to show my support.”
“My ‘Hope’ entry is meant to represent what I’ve become post-pandemic. It shows how screens, like my cellphone, have affected my life. It feels like I’m being sucked in and losing control; but a special person has been able to help me [keep] from losing all touch with reality. My hope is that I can learn to rely less on my phone and more on the people around me.”
“As a biracial female in a white-male-dominant environment, I find it very important to point out racist and sexist behavior when I see it. I was very excited to make an entry about my personal experience and how I’ve dealt with these unjust problems in the hope that others might be able to take some of the ideas and apply them to their own situations or simply be more understanding.”
“For this contest, I decided to talk about boxing because it’s something thing that helps me with whatever I am going through and hopefully others. I chose to talk about boxing because it’s a great way to deal with stress and anxiety.”
“My mom has been able to keep me grounded even in the mightiest of storms and gave me strength during an incident I had at my school. Even anchors wear out after carrying all that weight, but my mother still keeps me strong despite the fatigue, because she loves me. […] I wanted to honor my mother, who would go as far as to capture the moon for me if it was my heart’s greatest desire.”
“I wanted to emphasize the importance of the beauty of nature. There’s so much tranquility in our world, and I know that if we took the time to appreciate it, the calamity of our problems would seem like a star in space [by] comparison.”
“My submission is a watercolor and colored pencil mixed media painting depicting two friends on a couch with a cat. One friend comforts the other, showing my anchor, which is my friends and loved ones who will always be there to anchor you when the waters get rough. I decided to use a warmer color palette to show the warmth that your friends and loved ones can bring into your life when things seem cold and bleak.”