Hiya DoSomething Members,

Ready to have your mind blown? 

Art used to be an Olympic sport. That’s right. Between 1912 and 1948, Olympic Medals were given out for sporting-inspired masterpieces of architecture, music, painting, sculpture, and literature. Folks were LITERALLY walking away with gold medals, just for sharing their art and creativity with the world. And while we can’t give you an Olympic medal for participating in The Art of Creativity (trust us, we wish we could!), we can ensure you’ll enter to win a $5,000 scholarship.

The idea is simple: share your creativity and artistic expression with those around you -- this could be a close group of friends, your classmates, your neighbors, or even your local mailman -- and help uplift and revitalize your community. 

Have a painting you worked on during the pandemic? Bring it to school and ask to hang it in the hall. Or perhaps you choreographed a dance to the latest Adele song? Perform it at your next family gathering. Whatever you do -- Keep it simple. Keep it fun. Keep it creative. 

So, what are you waiting for? Show us how you’re sharing your creative superpower, and you may end up winning a $5,000 scholarship! 

Let’s Do This!

DoSomething

P.S. Need inspiration? Check out some STELLAR members who are doing an awesome job of sharing art and creativity with their community.

These DoSomething members are doing ROCKSTAR work by sharing various forms of art, music, fashion, sports, and culture with those around them.

Arts and creative expression are not only proven to benefit an individual’s academic, physical, and mental well-being, but are also proven to uplift and improve communities, especially when shared in public spaces.

In the leadup to Vans Checkerboard Day, DoSomething members are helping to build community with fun and creative actions. Here are just a few of our favorites from the Art of Community campaign:

“Over junior summer, I helped repaint a well-known community mural with a group of other art students. We worked as a group to paint the design given to us on a very busy wall within the community; people walk, bike, and run past it every day, so we came up with a vibrant design that would catch people's attention. The mural focuses on what makes East Grand Rapids different and unique, says DoSomething member Reese, 17. “We focused on our mini downtown, the gaslights that line the streets, local statues, the library, and our beautiful lake. Filled with bright colors, the mural catches the eye on rainy or sunny days.”

“Dia de los Muertos is a very important celebration in our culture. Because of COVID, we are unable to go to parades. However, that did not stop us from going to our local park and displaying our beautiful culture through our art, says DoSomething member Jose, 24. “After having our own parade, we go home and place an offering on our altar for our loved ones that have passed. This act helps lift our spirits because we know even though our loved ones are physically gone, they still live in our hearts. This is why we go out and show our culture to the public.”

“After over a year of staying at home young children have been longing to get outside and play with others. I would know because I have a 4-year-old brother. So, on November 6th of this year my church youth group, Youth Against Peer Pressure, came together to host a "Children's Fall Fellowship" at a local park…,” says DoSomething member Kaylla, 17. “Here in this picture, I'm demonstrating to the children how to complete the obstacle course that I made for them. We also played kickball, ate pizza, and played on the playground.”

Join Reese, Jose, and Kaylla in sharing art and creativity with those around you and help to revitalize your community.

Our hero today is...Michelle Wu, who made history last week as the first woman AND first person of color to be elected mayor of Boston! 

November Book Club...We’re reading A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis, the newest memoir from 24-year old climate activist Vannessa Nakate (and check out her impassioned speech from COP26 last week)! 

Thursday is Veterans Day (November 11). Be sure to pause and thank the brave women and men who help keep our nation safe.

We want to hear from you!

DoSomething is entering an exciting strategic planning process and we want to hear from you--our members--on how we can best know you, build campaigns and programming that speak to you, and activate you to make a difference short- and long-term! 

Take our quick, ten minute survey and help shape the future of DoSomething!

The college admission process is in full swing -- early decision deadlines, acceptance letters, and scholarship applications galore! 

Complete a free profile on CollegeXpress and answer one question: What scares you most about the college admission process?

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