November 2022 Winners

I wanted to create an artistic portrayal of how words can empower people and encourage them to persevere through difficult circumstances. People say that actions matter than words, but I think that words should not be underestimated in how powerful they can be. When I was creating this artwork, I wanted to juxtapose sadness and relief to tell this person’s story: unhappy at first, but as they glance at the phone lying beside them and see the messages they are receiving, they feel relief knowing that there are people that are concerned for them and that are willing to listen to their troubles. I feel that everyone going through tough times deserves to receive those messages. Whether it’s just “Are you okay?” or “Do you want to talk about it?” all of it matters. Those kinds of messages can fill people with the hope they need to persevere through their situation.

“Querido Mexico” – Short Film is a poem I wrote to my home country – and overall the people in my situation – that contrasts the differences in cultures between Mexico City and Palo Alto, California. It is a thank you note to Mexico for keeping me grounded and for helping me not fall into the trap that is the toxic academic competition that goes on in my area’s schools. It goes over the importance of living in the moment, having time to be a child, and making choices for your own hapinness’ sake as it is your life and nobody elses. Living in misery to make other people happy can have grave consequences.

This piece is about the hope and resilience of the Ukrainians in the War raged by Russian leader, President Vladimir Putin. When the war first began many photographers and journalists captured the devastation and shock of Ukrainians. A photo was captured of a woman awaiting a train out of Kyiv. The way her hands were held together and the way she looked made me want to understand her emotions. She looked terrorized by the uncertainty of her country’s situation. But later this year, as the war unfolds the morale of the Ukrainians shows power. Once predicted not to even last 3 months, they have lasted almost 10 and counting. The Ukrainian people had hope and something to fight for. I think this women embodies both the terror and the flickering hope that has overrun Ukraine.

My artwork relates to something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I’ve been doubting my art skills a lot and I feel like I’m not on the same level as other people my age. I’ve realized that I shouldn’t be comparing myself to the people around me and that I should look at their success and use that to motivate me to be better instead of feeling bad about it. Also seeing the people I look up to support and compliment me and my art gives me hope and motivates me to get better and reach my goals.

I drew this during the Black Lives Matter movement and COVID lockdown. It gave my little sister and I the chance to spend time together and bond during a challenging time. Being black myself, I learned that my life may be more difficult and different than others around me who may not experience the same bias or criticism because they are not black. I have to prepare myself for whatever may come my way because of the color of my skin. But I hope that whatever comes is more positive than negative.

I wanted to illustrate a scene that showcased how hope could help you recover from a dark mental state. The chains that the character is being held down with represents the circumstances and emotions that’s keeping her in a dark place, where the diving mask/bubbles represent hope in the situation, as it’s keeping her stable until she can find a solution to escape from the shackles. There is always a surface, no matter how deep down you are in the sea.

I love my older brother. He is so kind, and he has helped me through so many struggles.

My entry is a drawing of my mom made up of words describing her. She has always been someone who I can look up to and who cares for me no matter what I do. She is an incredible figure in my life who I try to model myself after. In short, my hero. I would tell more about her, but you only need to look at my drawing to see what kind of person she is. She is so supportive and has always given me confidence when I doubted myself. I will always be grateful to her.

Reggie is the CEO/founder of Project Aware, a program that helps kids learn to cope with their emotions. There are thousands of things I could say about this amazing man. He’s done so much for me and my partner, we’ve learned so much about not only ourselves, but others. We’ve learned to be more emphatic, more caring and loving. He asks us such out of the box questions that really make you reflect on yourself, and I have no idea where I’d be without him. He’s an amazing mentor, hardworking, and deserves to be celebrated. This artwork is something to reflect how much we truly care for him. He helps so many people in his processes and deserves to receive something for that.

This piece represents my mental health hero in multiple ways. Within my piece I wanted to show the feeling of being alone without the realization of someone waiting to catch you. At the top of the page my character has to wake up to the struggles of reality. As my character falls she becomes intertwined with the words of others, but as she continues to dive downward, patiently awaiting below is the warm hands of my mom. The increase of clothing represents the growing comfort and safety I feel when I’m with my mom. The artwork I’ve created is both original and personal. I hope you also find this piece to be relatable to your everyday life.

The mental health heroes I decided to portray are my friends. Individually, we all have our struggles and mental blocks; together, we can fill in each other’s gaps of mental vulnerability. If one friend is going through something, the rest of us will help support them however we can. Not everyone has the same problems, which is why we are like a puzzle. Each of us brings a piece to the table, whether that be experience, advice, or even just emotional support. The format I made the piece was akin to a video call because the group of friends I drew is people I got much closer to during a time when we were supposed to be further than ever. Quarantine. Growing up comes with many struggles, many of them mental, but my friend group will always support each other through it all.

I drew a picture of my older sister. She has inspired me. She has supported me. And she has used her incredible influence for good. I went into freshman year of high school practically knowing no one. I had transferred from a charter school to a traditional public school that was in another district. Predictably, I felt extremely lonely, and the experience was all but overwhelming to me. However, my older sister who I’ve depicted here, was a junior at the time, and she watched out for me. She put her best efforts forward to be there for me and to be my friend. She introduced me to her friends and helped me integrate into this new school. I thank her for that, and her kind actions mean so much to me.

I chose my dog, his name is S’mores, as my mental health hero. After a long day, going home and spending time with my dog always makes me happy. I drew that landscape to describe the highs and lows of life. The right part of the drawing represents the sad parts of life. My dog and I are passing over the bridge to the other side. He is guiding me and helping me be happy.

I’ve chosen to take the monthly prompt “mental heroes” as a way to look back and see what my mental heroes looked like dating all the way back to my childhood. I had this one stuffed animal that I just couldn’t ever part with, and his name was Ozzy. Ozzy was a friend to keep at night to keep the monsters at bay, but his specialty was helping me throughout the day. Like keeping me company, keeping my secrets, and just being there for me. I can honestly say Ozzy saved me from the hardships of elementary school. I’ve chosen to draw my piece in a format of a child’s to again showcase that all of this is through the mind of my 7-year-old self.

I wanted to depict a happy family because the minute you are born and brought into this world, the people that will always be there for you no matter what is your parents. For me, family means the world. I come from an Italian background, and with that come people who are always there willing to love, help, and support me. My family always wants me to reach for the stars. They told me that I can achieve anything in life and that they will always be by my side.

I have a friend who is always upbeat and radiates positivity; she is a person who makes everyone around her feel good. She not only supports and consoles me but also those friends around her when they are unhappy; in my eyes, she is a mental health hero who will always be there to encourage and listening to everyone. But one day I recognized that my friend, the sweet girl who was always smiling and happy, was not as strong and positive as she appeared to me and other friends. I eventually realized that her wonderful attributes and cheery demeanor were all masks she had made to disguise the darkness inside of her. My friend is currently suffering from depression and is undergoing psychological treatment. Now, her condition has improved, and she is beginning to open up more in sharing her struggles with friends and me.

This entry is a dedication to my mom. I wanted to tell the story of her struggles and how much I really appreciate her. Her selflessness is something I want to carry with me as I grow older. And I hope that others can take away something greater from this: You can tell a lot about a person by their hands. And in this case, my mom is an amazing person.

In our entry, we showcase the story of a high school water polo coach and her journey with mental health. Coach Veronica reveals her past struggles in battling her mental health issues with depression and ADHD and how water polo became a sanctuary for her. The tight-knit community of teammates helped support Coach Veronica through her struggles, and as she soon realized the impact that an uplifting community has on an athlete’s mental health, she became empowered to create a supportive environment for the next generation of water-polo athletes. Veronica has not only powered through her own struggles, but has taken her experiences and learned values to create an environment that is supportive for others as well.

My film talks who my mental heath hero is and why they helped me.

I decided to write about this entry because I think it’s important to have plenty of awareness towards mental health. I found it a bit easy to write about this since my community brings a lot of awareness to mental health and tries to help us with it by providing resources for us. I tried to convey a message that could inspire others if they’re ever in a poor mental state, and to let them know that even though they might be struggling, they can still be their own hero even in the darkest of their times.

My hero is my voice. It’s powerful, supported me through everything. With my voice I was able to influence good for everyone who surrounded me. Your true authentic voice demands to be heard, and once you unleash it, things will never be as they were before.

This piece is a poem that shows how a person’s negative feelings only dig them deeper. but I also wanted to show that our confidence and our positivity lifts us even higher. I wanted to show everyone that we are our own heroes, even when we don’t feel like it.

This category reminded me of my auntie Melea and I wanted to take it as a chance to honor her.

I am lucky. There are so many people around me that I consider to be a hero, but the one that helps me the most mentally and physically is my mother. She is everything to me, and always has been. I know that I will always need her, and I’m thankful that she is my Mental Health Hero.