November

Harmonies of Life

With so much violence and injustice around the world today, I wanted to create something that represents hope in my life and the lives of so many others, music. In our current socio-political climate, it can be so easy to get sucked into hopelessness and without an anchor – like music – to ground us it can be hard to find the good things buried among the bad. […] The poem uses metaphors to show how music is truly everywhere, as well as to invoke emotions like interconnectedness and love for all life on Earth.

My New Headphones

This poem is based on an experience I had last month when my earbuds broke, and I was left without music for a week. I remember how hopeless I felt without music playing and encouraging me to get through the day. I also remember how getting new headphones felt – I felt empowered as soon as I played music through them and as if I could take on anything.

Escape

I love classical music and it has helped me through a lot of tough times. […] I was very delighted and excited to create a video exploring the ability to escape through music.

Recreating me

The piece I created called “recreating me” is about living life with a different body image than what is percieved through social media and other social norms. My piece illustrates both the harshness and hateful discrimination from social media and social norms based around stretch marks and belly rolls. While i also integrate the softer accepting hand holding the figure accepting the imperfections. My piece is about breaking apart and ripping off the social norms and hateful words people will claim about you and reveal the true you underneath.

Kintsugi

Kintsugi (meaning “golden joinery”) is the Japanese method of mending broken pottery with gold. […] I based my piece around the earthquake in March 2011 that I experienced when I lived in Japan. Many lives were lost, towns were destroyed by tsunamis, and the radiation plant disaster that followed left the country terrified of its potential effects. However, through all that, I watched the citizens uplift each other and find ways to cheer everyone up.

Innocence

In light of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, the heartbreaking reality of violence and loss of innocent lives (especially among children) is deeply distressing. Regardless of one’s perspective on the conflict, there is a shared understanding that the lives of children should never be sacrificed in the name of vengeance.

Embrace the Light Within

My entry is a poetic journey through the complex and often challenging landscape of mental health. It begins in the quiet recesses of the mind, acknowledging the intricate and vast nature of one’s inner world. […] The poem concludes with a poignant call to embrace both the journey and the fight, acknowledging the resilience and beauty that can emerge even in the face of darkness.

The Sound of Thoughts

Music is abstract, similar to our lives. I think music helps reflect how we feel so we can work through how our emotions are holding us down. It’s also influences on how we feel so I think listening to music creates change small or big, I think it creates change within, it creates hope for something better.

Tone

My piece depicts how music can set the tone for our lives. The girl on the balcony lives in an environment devoid of color and creativity, but the music she’s listening to widens her horizons and allows her to see the potential in everything.

Safe Space

When things happen in our lives, sometimes we cope by listening to music and tuning out the chaos around us. It’s important to take moments for ourselves to calm down, reflect, and think clearly. To me and many others, music is a way to accomplish that. […] I made this art piece in order to thank music for getting me through tough times.