creativity as refuge

Poetry·Shivanshi Dutt — A speaker seeks refuge in the art room, a space where they can exist without intrusion, where silence protects solitude and there's finally room for the self.

Personal Narrative·Xi Huang — A young writer celebrates the everyday magic of erasers, cataloging their varieties, textures, and the quiet miracle of their ability to make mistakes disappear.

Personal Narrative·Rachel Jess Bueker — On a windy gray beach day, a girl transforms driftwood into a pirate ship, discovering sea glass and the power of imagination along the way.

Story·Eleazar Reiner — A girl watches a mysterious violin player who controls the seasons, inherits her legacy when she dies, and years later discovers her own way to keep the music alive through...

Personal Narrative·Noah Xia — A young artist celebrates their messy desk, inherited from their father, as a companion through creative adventures and a witness to growing up.

Poetry·Luka Simpson-Khan — A witch narrates her daily routine of potion-making, mushroom hunting, fortune-telling, and mirror-breaking, all told with playful rhyming couplets.

Poetry·Enni Harlan — A child transforms a piano practice session into an imaginary train journey, packing vintage hats from a decorated hatbox while Hanon exercises repeat downstairs.

Poetry·Enni Harlan — A girl brings a curtain rod to school as a cane after injuring her foot, transforming recess into an imaginary voyage across seas, inspiring her friend to seek the same...

Poetry·Emily Yen, age 11 — A young writer captures the moment of creative paralysis before inspiration strikes, celebrating words as 'lines of grace' that bring thought to life.

Story·Jonah Christiansen-Barker, age 13 — A young boy writes stories in an alley, facing adults who question his identity as a writer until he discovers his own definition of being published.