Empowering Youth and Embracing Self-Care Through Art

by Amber Haney

Throughout the month of May, LUK Prevention is encouraging youth in Central Massachusetts to consider the ways in which they are making time for their mental health and wellness while staying at home. Youth will be invited to create and submit artwork that centers around the theme “How I stay mentally well during physical distancing”.

With a strong focus on mental wellness, the hope is that this art contest will strengthen protective factors to aid in the prevention of youth substance use while youth are at home, practicing safe social distancing. 

Everyone reacts to challenging situations differently, and may embrace varying coping skills and self-care strategies. The recent COVID-19 crisis has bestowed extraordinary challenge and hardship upon our world, and youth have been burdened with unique struggles, themselves. The LUK Prevention art contest encourages youth to consider the healthy and adaptive self-care strategies that work for them. The contest empowers youth to embrace their creativity and expressiveness, promoting an organic self-care practice, in itself.

LUK Prevention will proudly present select artworks on our social media pages following the close of the contest. It is our goal to empower youth in an art-making process that will yield artworks which will become catalysts for discussion around self-care and mental wellness. LUK Prevention will be publically sharing these artworks with the intention to inspire viewers to consider their own self-care practices, too. 

Additionally, LUK Prevention will select three art contest winners based on predetermined age categories (10-13, 14-17, and 18-21 years of age). Winners will be awarded a bundle of high-quality arts materials to promote art as a continued means of self-care and self-expression. ‘

Please see more information on the LUK Prevention art contest at Prevention.LUK.org/artcontest. For more information about LUK Prevention, please contact us at Prevention@LUK.org or call 800-579-0000.