September 2023 – Winners

“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 …

“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 …

“My piece is a poem about my struggle with body image. Every day, I used to feel terrible, and think horrible thoughts about myself. Throughout my experience, my mental health …

“When I wrote this piece, I wanted it to capture the concept that things will get better as time goes on. It goes back to the ‘hope’ aspect of Directing …

“I turned to art and writing as a way to use creativity as an outlet for my emotions. Throughout the poem, I use my hands as a symbol of instruments …

“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 …

“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 …

“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.”

“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 …

“An anchor doesn’t have to be one thing, and it doesn’t have to be one hundred. Anchors are whatever you want them to be as long as you feel they’re …

“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, …

“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 …

“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 …

“My mother has always been someone I can rely on and brings me happiness. She is always available to offer me guidance and console me when I’m going through a …

“My submission shows one of the things that anchors me, which is skincare. Doing skincare is my self-care. I feel refreshed after I do skincare, and my mind is clearer. …

“My piece is a representation of my anchor in life – my pets. Life can be stressful at times, but the simple presence of an animal is immediately calming; it’s …

“My drawing is about how a person’s stress or anxiety can disappear with their anchor – in this case the anchor [of] music. With music, people can go into their …

“An anchor to me is someone that provides stability in the tides of life. I chose my grandmother as my anchor because she motivated me to grow into the person …

“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 …

“During times of stress, I find myself either wanting to be active or make any form of art […] I made my entry to share what my anchors are and …

“We choice this category to spread awareness to those who need it.”