creativity as refuge

Poetry·Ismini Vasiloglou, age 11 — A stream-of-consciousness meditation on the pencil as both physical object and metaphor for writing's power to transform sadness into expression.

Poetry·Lucy Rados, age 13 — A beat trapped in the speaker's head both torments and defines them, pulling them through life's extremes while shaping their identity.

Personal Narrative·Anusha Ranjan, age 7 — A malfunctioning air conditioner drips water into bowls and buckets, inspiring a child to create paper boats, invent ocean adventures, and sing along with the dripping sounds.

Poetry·Brooke Callan, age 10 — A reader transforms into knights, princesses, and trolls while reading beneath a summer tree, until sleep overtakes imagination.

Poetry·Pei-Ying Olsen, age 9 — A young musician experiences how playing music transforms perception, turning static moments into flowing streams and city streets into moon-lit landscapes.

Story·Lindsay Cale, age 9 — A girl who sees rainbows in unconventional shapes struggles between staying true to her unique vision and conforming to others' expectations of normalcy.

Poetry·Sofie Dardzinski, age 9 — A young guitarist loses herself in playing, as golden light fades to darkness and the music wraps around her like a quilt.

Art

Poetry·Sim Ling Thee, age 13 — A spilled mug of milk becomes a meditation on how accidents and disasters might transform into art when viewed from a different perspective.

Poetry·Rainer Pasca, age 14 — A writer with writer's block finds inspiration when their cat Rumi jumps on the table, transforming frustration into affectionate verse about the purring 'king of gold.'

Poetry·Amber Zhao, age 10 — A young poet describes the moment of completing a poem, exploring the paradox of creation—how words become both fragile and eternal, personal and universal.