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 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…

“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…

“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 deteriorated even more. But some part of me knew that it would pass, knew that I would get over it. A sliver of hope helped me…

“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 Change, and I wanted it to show that while so many people are struggling with mental health, or other issues, that there is always another reason…

“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 of past acts of destruction, but more importantly, as vessels for the art and poetry that helped save me. My experiences often feel like handfuls [that…

“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…

“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…

“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 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…

“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 helping you be the best version of yourself you can be.”

“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 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…

“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 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 hard time. My painting shows my mother acting as a guide, helping me go through my journey of life which is represented by a map of…

“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. I tried to translate this feeling into my painting by having the reflection in the painting show my happiness. […] Skincare is a part of my…

“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 why people have therapy pets and why dogs are brought to hospitals to cheer people up. When life gets hard, sometimes the best thing you can…

“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 own world and forget about their problems and stress. […] Music also helps me get away from the world and motivates me to get through a…

“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 I am today. […] I really want my grandma to be proud of me.”

“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…

“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 hopefully inspire others to find their anchors as well. […] Now that I know what my main anchors are, I can go to them whenever I…

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