I wanted to inform people about the importance of choosing to forgive yourself for past mistakes. These mistakes do not define you, and letting go of the resentment that you have for your past self ultimately allows for healing. But of course you cannot forgive on command, I just want people to know that whenever you are ready, it will be there for you.
The drawing is about how I cope with stress and life’s dilemmas – by listening to music, drawing, and seeing the beauty of nature. With all of these combined, the world seems to be more colorful. Without them, my world always seems to be in black and white.
This piece is about the importance of self reflection, and how it can even be therapeutic at times. Whenever I am braving a difficult time it can be really refreshing to just sit down and process it. It’s really just talking to yourself and showing yourself compassion like you would any other person going through difficult times. This strategy helped me a lot with self love and processing my emotions. In the end it made me a lot more honest with myself and I learned that if you learn to love yourself and be friends with yourself you’ll never be lonely.
This piece serves as a visual reminder inspiring viewers to find hope even in the darkest moments and encouraging them to reflect on their experiences. It invites them to embrace resilience, believe in their own strength, and hold onto the unwavering light of hope.
Content Warning: This artwork contains potentially triggering images that may evoke strong emotional responses or discomfort. “Little Things is meant to be a visceral representation of one’s darkest moment contradicted by the love poured into them by the people surrounding them. The title is in reference to the little things that can drive one to suicide, the little things that can make one want to stay alive, and the literal little things/people in the painting. This piece is meant to draw awareness to suicide and everyone affected by it.”
My piece depicts the strikes nurses went on in order to protest a shortage of workers in the healthcare industry and the dangers faced by patients as a result of being treated by underpaid, overworked professionals. Strikes can serve as crucial tools for securing fair wages and hours.
Something I wish my parents knew is that I often felt isolated and alienated during middle school. I wish my parents understood how difficult it was to fit in and adjust to a new school.
Every day almost feels the same, especially when you are supposed to be a top student and feel obligated to get everything done perfectly. When I’m working endlessly until the day is over, my window serves as a reminder of how much I miss those days when I had time to go outside, go biking, and hang out with family instead of being in my room constantly.
When teenagers have issues and difficult problems, they are often scared to share. They can have feelings of stress or depression and feel like giving up, even when an adult sees them as ‘happy.’
Being strapped down by the depression of my daily life interrupts everything I do. My worst fear is disappointing my parents and not being able to meet the most simple expectations. […] The hardest thing for me to tell my parents is that I TRIED to get up but couldn’t.