Our theme for January is RISE. It was chosen by our Tampa Bay chapter and illustrated by Miss Crit (Laura Spencer).

The sun must set before it can rise. So, remember, every setback and problem can be overcome. Every new challenge compels us to tap into our reservoirs of hope and determination. To live a fulfilling life, we must not wallow. We must rise.

The phoenix rising from the ashes is such a juicy metaphor. The mystical bird’s fiery demise symbolizes the destruction of old expectations — and how it’s always been done. Every creative act is a transformation. Each new project is a rebirth. We rise from everything that came before.

“Rise up!” is a rally cry for the oppressed. But we should all be shouting, because our personal and collective empowerment are intricately linked. The rise of different voices creates a richer and more vibrant society. The goal is not reaching the top, it’s lifting each other up.

Together, we rise higher.

INSPIRATION FROM OUR COMMUNITY:

Each month, we ask the readers of our Weekly Highlights newsletter to submit creative work inspired by our global theme.

Here are the featured submissions for January:

Local Color Vibes by Lee Suzanne Jordan in Atlanta, Georgia.

This work is about rising up to embrace new beginnings. The plants reach for the sun, the butterfly is drying its wings, preparing to fly.

The Best Decision-Making Is Emotional by Jonny Miller in Boulder, Colorado.

A guide to making better decisions by allowing emotions to RISE — the idea of facts over feelings is a myth.

“My emotions get in the way of my ability to make good decisions.” There’s a pervasive myth—particularly in the tech industry—that listening to our rational, logic-oriented left brain is superior to acting in response to fluctuating emotions.

Life might be simpler if this were the case. Emotions are messy, and in some circumstances they cloud our judgment. Even the neuroscientists studying them have struggled to understand how they work.

But it turns out that without our “irrational” emotions, we would be unable to make even basic day-to-day choices. Research in recent decades has shown that emotions are a crucial component of our decision-making process.

Read more about the recent neuroscience on this topic and a journaling prompt on Jonny’s site.

Rooted Remembrance Tarot by Rae Serafina Barker in Milwaukee.

This is a tarot deck I created this year around the theme of rising into our power + remembering all the way down to the roots.

You can purchase this tarot deck on Rae’s site.

Phoenix by Alena Aichlmanova in Prague.

I am submitting a drawing of Phoenix as I see him. This drawing always inspires me to get up a go on.

“The Sun Also Rises” by Stefanie Bales in San Diego.

An original fine art painting. This work is intended to act as a visual reminder that so much of life is still on the horizon. That the sun will rise and fall, again and again, giving us the opportunity to do the same.

Far From (Everyday) DJ mix by Jordan Hoffman in Phoenix.

I’m very passionate about music and part of that reason is based on the way it can uplift me, mentally/emotionally/physically. This particular mix I made is comprised of songs that have both dark and bright elements, reflecting the inherent struggles of being human and also the ability to rise above that.

You can listen to the DJ mix on Jordan’s soundcloud.

Rise by Christine Bissonnette in Vancouver.

It is a spoken word poem that explores what it means to ‘rise’ in a non-hierarchical manner, but rather in a way that recognizes the importance of community. (We don’t rise alone.)

There was a song

I grew up hearing a lot as a kid.

It was by the Rankin Family, and the chorus began with the conviction:

‘we’ll rise again.’

We’ll rise again! My mom would sing that song repetitively as she ripped the wall paper off the walls of our two bedroom apartment.

‘We’

were three young kids and her.

I was just old enough to wet the beige under-layer of the paper and peel it away — so intensely satisfying to tuck my fingers underneath a really good sliver and p – u – l – l, watching what was unwanted expand along the wall, eventually falling off into one solid piece, bigger than my wingspan.

Now, when I say ‘Rise’

I don’t necessarily mean High Rise, reaching for the sky, being the mightiest of them all.

I also mean the early morning;

when hopefully it’s quiet

except for the tap, tap, tap of your sturdy feet lingering on the ground.

As an adult, I became obsessed with sound;

wanting all of my walls to come tumbling down,

I started teaching myself how to speak beautifully. Not a crack.

I’d record my voice; play it back, dissect the notes for even a shimmer of weakness.

In my late 20s, when I’d arrived at that place we like to call ‘rock bottom’

I considered this idea of RISING with a type of pessimistic hope. the words felt so hollow; impossible to believe that things could ever be any different.

You can read the rest and hear the entire poem read aloud on Christine’s blog.

Want to see your work featured on our blog? Subscribe to our Weekly Highlights newsletter to find out when submissions for next month’s theme are open.