Gallery

Get Inspired
Welcome to the Youth Gallery! This vibrant space showcases the incredible creativity and passion of young people making a difference in mental health and well-being. Explore various projects, from powerful artwork and compelling writing to innovative STEM initiatives and captivating performances. Let these inspiring creations spark your imagination and motivate you to join the #CreateConnectCare movement. Together, we can create a more compassionate and connected world.
Campaign
Art Activity
Age Groups
Focus Areas
Eating Healthy
Eating Healthy
Eating a healthy diet plays a crucial role in maintaining good mental health. Just as your body needs the right fuel to function properly, your brain requires essential nutrients to regulate mood, manage stress, and support cognitive function. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, B vitamins, and magnesium can directly impact brain health, boosting the production of feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Additionally, a healthy gut, supported by probiotics and fiber, can positively influence mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Maintaining hydration also helps mental clarity, while avoiding processed foods, excess sugar, and caffeine can prevent mood swings and irritability.
A balanced, nutrient-rich diet not only supports your physical well-being but also helps keep your mind strong and resilient. Simple changes like eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, incorporating healthy fats from fish or nuts, and reducing refined sugars can make a significant difference in mental clarity and emotional stability. By fueling your body with the right foods, you empower yourself to navigate life’s challenges with a calmer, more balanced mind, demonstrating how vital nutrition is in nurturing mental health.
Literary ArtsEating Healthy
Artist
Natalie T.
Age group
16-18
Arts activity type
Literary Arts
Reflection
This reminds others to eat healthy foods to maintain good health.
Barbed Truths, Blooming Souls
Age group
11-12
Arts activity type
Visual Arts
Reflection
My artwork reflects the fragmented inner world of navigating emotional turmoil and healing. The multiple overlapping faces suggest a struggle with identity and mental conflict, while the barbed wire imagery implies emotional pain, entrapment, or vulnerability. Despite the chaos, the vibrant blue flowers and hints of yellow signify hope, resilience, and the possibility of growth amidst suffering. While it took me time to express this, I am happy to have captured the tension between pain and recovery, shedding light on the silent battles many face.
The Chaotic Calm
Age group
11-12
Arts activity type
Visual Arts
Reflection
My abstract artwork, composed of vibrant interlocking shapes and diverse colors, reflects a journey of emotional expression and inner exploration. The chaotic yet harmonious composition symbolizes the complexity of the mind—fragmented yet beautifully whole. The use of watercolor evokes softness and fluidity, suggesting healing, adaptability, and calm. Engaging with this artistic style was very therapeutic, enabling me to practice mindfulness and experience free emotional release.
Multiply
Artist
Joclynn D.
Age group
16-18
Arts activity type
Visual Arts
Reflection
My piece, titled “Multiply” explores the reality of what it is like to live with multiple mental illnesses, and constant new worries due to anxiety. But the main subject, a greyhound, represents the strength and control of the afflicted despite it all. A natural predator of rabbits, which represent worries and multifaceted illness. Such as OCD, which for me, causes constant obsession and intrusive thoughts.
Deformaties
Artist
Hailey C.
Age group
16-18
Arts activity type
Visual Arts
Reflection
As a woman in modern-day society, almost everyone experiences physical insecurity at some point. As someone who has been diagnosed with an eating disorder and body dysmorphia, the concept of personal image is no stranger to me. When discussing these issues with others, it’s frightening to realize how common it is to compare yourself to others or feel jealousy toward their bodies. Through these conversations, I’ve also come to understand just how deeply body dysmorphia affects both myself and those around me. In my piece Deformities, I use exaggeration and a touch of humor to explore the idea that what people see in the mirror is often inherently flawed. More specifically, I wanted to create a face so distorted that viewers would clearly recognize it as unrealistic, yet still feel that what they were seeing reflected a deeper truth. I also chose to use unrealistic proportions and colors to emphasize the gap between reality and the distorted self-perception that many experience. I hope that when people—especially young women—see this piece, they recognize that struggling with body image is a widespread experience. Through art, I hope they can find acceptance of their physical beauty, as I have. Most of all, I created this piece to express and almost perform my feelings on this topic without having to speak them out loud.
The Hurt
Artist
Abbi D.
Age group
16-18
Arts activity type
Visual Arts
Reflection
My submission is about being inside your own head, its about hurting and learning how to heal. I want others to understand that no matter what happens, you will recover. The mind is strong and beautiful just like you are. Be yourself, don’t give up.
True Colors
Artist
Delila L.
Age group
13-15
Arts activity type
Visual Arts
Reflection
True Colors is a self portrait of me breaking through black and white glass, which is acting as a barrier that restricted me from showing my true colors. This is a representation of how you hold the power to be authentic. Many things will try to hold you back but authenticity can defy all negative forces. There is a famous saying, “Confidence is key” and confidence plays such a large role in authenticity. The breaking of the glass in True Colors represents the underlying message that authenticity has such a strong impact and the glass is the negative force being broken by it. These days, it is so important to stay true to yourself, or authentic, and stay confident, with all of the negativity our world holds. Things like social media can fully cause people to lose their spark, but we must overpower the darkness of the world and shine with our True Colors.
States of Mind
States of Mind
In a room in a room
among rooms a squirrel
opens a machine,
unscrews a thought
with a twisted center of rust.
The squirrel turns and turns and turns
and the thought grates.
And meanwhile the squirrel
presses buttons.
Plenty in the glittery
nut of the machine,
too many to name.
A white button
that grips the machine with ice
until it sags in shame
and gurgles just above it.
A blue button that overheats the machine
as it rolls back and forth
and back on its wheels
and chews batteries like fingernails.
A baffling gray button that needs
a song on a broken record
or none at all.
A black button,
which gnashes wires,
that the squirrel cannot,
must not
find.
A clear button
for panic, for panic, for panic.
The light flickered out.
It’s supposed to be red.
Recently there has also been a mauve button
that blows a sunny whisper
silky as a cocoon
through the panic, the dying,
the nothing,
the burning, the crying
the screwing until
the metal sighs,
is still.
Literary ArtsStates of Mind
Artist
Noelle L.
Age group
13-15
Arts activity type
Literary Arts
Reflection
I wanted to capture the moments when controlling my mind seems out of reach. Each of the buttons I chose to describe (except the last) represent states of mind that are unintentional, miserable, and hard to leave. My hope for this piece is that it would communicate how difficult it is to take back control once it is lost, and help you to carry that understanding and compassion with you.
Echoes of San Ildefonso
Artist
Jane H.
Age group
13-15
Arts activity type
Visual Arts
Reflection
This clay pot draws inspiration from the intricate and timeless designs of San Ildefonso pottery, a tradition known for its deep black-on-black designs and symbolic patterns. The pot’s smooth, glossy surface contrasts with its matte details, creating a harmonious balance that speaks to both cultural heritage and modern craftsmanship. The subtle elegance of its design whispers stories from centuries past, celebrating the art of creating with the earth. I hope this piece honors the rich history of San Ildefonso pottery, while also reminding others that tradition can inspire new forms of expression. It’s a celebration of craftsmanship, culture, and the beauty in every hand-formed detail.
Woven Whispers
Artist
Jane H.
Age group
13-15
Arts activity type
Visual Arts
Reflection
This coil pot is carefully crafted, with each coil of clay built upon the last to create a smooth, flowing form. Its organic curves and textured surface tell a story of patience, care, and connection. Every coil holds a piece of time, layered together to form something unique. I hope this coil pot reminds others that we are all made up of layers — experiences, emotions, and moments — and that these layers create something beautiful, no matter how imperfect they may seem.
Blueberry
Artist
Quinten C.
Age group
16-18
Arts activity type
Visual Arts
Reflection
Blueberry is a soft, fluffy cloud that’s a little shy and a lot thoughtful. With its calming blue color, it reminds us that it’s okay to have quiet, introspective moments. Sometimes, just like Blueberry, we all need space to reflect and breathe. I hope Blueberry helps others feel peaceful and accepted, reminding them that it’s okay to take time for themselves and embrace their emotions
Kindness Rocks
Artist
Ellie W.
Age group
16-18
Arts activity type
Visual Arts
Reflection
These kindness rocks are like little sprinkles of love and encouragement, scattered around to brighten someone’s day. Each one carries a small message or a cheerful design, reminding us that kindness can be simple, quiet, and powerful — and that even tiny things can make a big difference.
Little Marks of Me
Artist
adonai b.
Age group
16-18
Arts activity type
Visual Arts
Reflection
I wrote my name on these rocks as a way to say “I’m here.” Sometimes, putting your name on something — even a small rock — can be a quiet way of showing up for yourself. It’s not a message to others, just a reminder that I exist, and that matters too.