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Art Spotlight
Friends Made Along the Way
Jason C.
Virginia
"As you travel from one place to another, between those intermissions, you’ll find a friend. Despite forming a friendship here and there, inevitably, you’ll have to part ways with them. Sad as it may be, you can at least still cherish those small memories you made with them. And also, don’t lose hope in not finding a friend. You’ll always find one anywhere you go. Perhaps you’ll somehow meet your old friends again one way or another."
My Colorful Life
Brianna V.
Texas
"The life of a military child is filled with different colors of places, people, languages, and cultures. Our experiences from childhood and into the present radiates vibrant colors that burn into our memories. Everything we see and feel as we move and travel takes on a different shade and hue to remind us of the special life as a military child."
Dandelion
Alexis S.
Virginia
The dandelion flower is a classic portrayal of being a military kid; the seeds relocate and grow wherever the wind takes them. Whenever the flower is represented it is in a traditional form, of the seeds flying in the air, so I decided to use some creative liberty and make the standard image a little more interesting. The positive and negative editing represents the ups and downs of growing up with military parents being controlled by the whims of a new job assignment and going wherever the wind blows.
Train Station Wonderland
Rowan M.
Guam
One of the perks of being on Guam is that we live really close to Japan. My family and I have gone on so many plane rides that our credit points and whatnot made it very cheap to fly there, too. This piece is inspired by the huge shopping complexes that would be hidden away in Japan's many train stations (this one in particular being the Lucua 100 complex). I just found it amazing that areas so bustling and full of life could be so easily missed if you don't take a closer look.
Nice and Pretty
Lara O.
Virginia
As a military teen, we are too often expected to bury the pain of leaving friends behind and adjusting to a new environment. “You’re used to this.” “You’re too old to cry.” But underneath the pretty facade, there is a cracked and bruised heart that mourns for all the people we left behind.
New Roots
Ellie C.
England
As foreign service kids, each moves presents a familiar feeling of unfamiliarity. These peppers were brought to my family on our second day of living Ghana by our host family. Our kitchen was completely empty, but these vibrant red and orange peppers were a reminder that we had left our entire lives behind, and that we had to start completely new.
Moon
Alexis S.
Virginia
When I left my old house in Maryland, Bruno Mars' song - Talking To the Moon - would be blasting in my headphones 24/7. I missed my old friends, and one of the only things that helped me feel close to them when we were so far apart was remembering we were watching the same moon rise and fall every night and morning. As a military teen, it's difficult moving around and leaving behind so many aspects of your life, so finding ways to feel more connected to the past is so valuable.
Shifting Pieces
Ellie C.
England
""Shifting Pieces" explores the emotional fragmentation that comes with moving constantly. Each "piece" of the portrait represents the different parts of ourselves that are connected to all of the places we have lived; different but still stitched together to make us who we are."
Army Class
Jason C.
Virginia
"As the new school year arrives with a variety of new electives open for freshman. Thus I decided to join JROTC so I can learn general knowledge about the military (and for personal reasons)! As of now, nothings too complicated thanks to the older people who taken the class multiple times and it’s pretty fun! However, I’m still lost—but hey, everybody gets lost in a new environment and it’s totally fine!"
All Dressed Up
Ellie C.
Ghana
"This is a watercolor portrait of a photo I took of a young girl at a festival I was attending at my post in Accra, Ghana. Living overseas exposes me to fascinating customs and cultures. Although the life of a militeen is tough, it has given me many opportunities to learn about new places and people."
Timer
Zoe B.
South Korea
This is a visual depiction of my poem “Timer.” You can read it here: https://www.bloommilitaryteens.org/post/timer
Lightening Path
Evelyn M.
South Korea
There's a point in every part of a military
child's life where they leave the nest, and the lifestyle they
have known their whole life. They have to find their new
sense of self, and learn a new way of life. It's a special part in
every child's life, finding a new path.
Thank You For Your Service
Imogene S.
Florida
While their parents are serving the country through their military careers, military kids end up having to endure the constant change and sacrifices for the good of their families. When they move, they carry both physical and emotional baggage from all the experiences they have been through.
A Drawing of Creativity
Jason C.
Virginia
Share your creativity with people around you! Let them know how amazing you are. Be proud of who you are: if you’re silly, then make people laugh! If you’re shy, don’t be afraid and be brave. If you’re a military child, let people around you know that you’re a military child because you’re not alone.
Life in Boxes
Zoe B.
South Korea
We’re all used to having our things packed up into boxes and sealed away. Keepsakes, books, art supplies, stuffed animals. Everything seems so much more real once you’re looking at the bare bones of what was once your room, filled with cardboard boxes. You’re really moving again. It’s really happening.
One Thing Remains
Gabriella A.
"After moving around so much, it sometimes gets hard trying to adapt to each noe location, although one thing always remains the same: the sun. In every new place, whenever I look outside my window, I'll always know I can look out and see the sun shining brightly in the sky. Though the sun may look different, it will always be there."
Return to Yongsan
Zoe B.
South Korea
This piece depicts the surreal feeling I had when visiting a past duty station: the now closed Yongsan Base in Seoul. I was there from 2014-2018. I moved there when I was 5 and left when I was 9. When I came back, everything was covered in vines: my house, my friends’ houses, the playgrounds. If you are interested and live in the area, you can go to the Yongsan base. They have an area open to the public featuring houses just like mine that have been converted to museums. If you go, say hi to 8 year old me ;)
Unbroken Record
Lara O.
Arlington, Virginia
The phrase “a broken record” refers to something repeated over and over again. Sometimes, life as a military teen can feel like that, the same moving cycle restarting every two years. However, no cycle is exactly the same, and through all the different moves, we remain resilient and unbroken.
Waiting
Claudia G.
Maryland
This piece is about several things. For one, it is what it is like after your parents retire. You live in one place for around 3 years and then that summer, you feel the itch. The itch to move somewhere new. The next move will be to college. So you are left in a weird place. the other meaning is what it is like in the military. You have an assignment for 3 years, but it could be 2, or it might be 4. You are waiting to know when the time will come, and after a certain point, it becomes all you can think about. Summer means waiting. Summer means moving, but you are unsure when you will be moving next.
Call Failed
Claudia G.
Maryland
This piece is about what it is like to have friendships that never fall apart, they just end. As a military kid, we lose many many friends, and this piece is a reminder that we can't ever find those old friends again. They are people of our past, not to return to our future. That is a burden we have to carry.
Seeds of Friendship
Zoe B.
South Korea
This piece illustrates how military-connected friend groups can be split apart by multiple moves, and when that happens it's hard for everyone involved. Everyone flies off on their own path, at first soaring through the air (figuratively and, often, literally), with nothing to think about but all you're leaving behind... and all there is to come. And while you may not stay in touch with that friend group, you'll always remember them as where your seed came from, as you land and grow your roots and your flowers up to the sky and meet new friends. Then on a windy day you fly away again to a new location, leaving another stem behind. But the stems always stay with you.
Bloom Where You're Planted
Gabriella H.
Puerto Rico
This symbolizes how dandelions grow almost anywhere even in the most adverse conditions, they bloom anywhere they can. After being moved around many times in my life with my two little sisters I feel as though we had to “bloom” and spread our roots and get adjusted to each new place. But even so I know I will always have my sisters there with me. Which is why I decided to paint three small dandelions in the painting.
Reunions
Alannisse S.
Puerto Rico
I decided to draw one of the most impactful moments of my early childhood relating to the military. I know we all go through that pain of missing a parent or guardian at some point when they're deployed for an extended period of time. It just makes seeing them again all the sweeter.
New Beginnings
Gabriella H.
Puerto Rico
After the dandelions life cycle has come to a end, it starts spreading it’s seeds to start a new beginning and continues to grow again. It reminds me of how when we move after awhile it’s time for us to go and start a new beginning. Each new place we go helps us grow, and learn new experiences.
Struggles of Deployment
Evelyn M.
South Korea
"A digital canvas showing the struggle of separation between a teen girl and her deployed mother. It is often hard to find peace when you are separated by your parents in a military situation. Sometimes, you have to find peace in the small moments with your parents, because every moment is special."
bloom.
Elisabeth H.
Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas
"Each piece was inspired by Bloom itself - the message, theme, colors, etc. "Bloom where you are planted" - don't just live somewhere, plant yourself in your community and thrive. The dandelion shows us - how we can go and live anywhere, are constantly moving, and we don't only grow, but become a "beautiful flower.""
Dandelion Colors
Elisabeth H.
Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas
"Each piece was inspired by Bloom itself - the message, theme, colors, etc. "Bloom where you are planted" - don't just live somewhere, plant yourself in your community and thrive. The dandelion shows us - how we can go and live anywhere, are constantly moving, and we don't only grow, but become a "beautiful flower.""
Be Planted
Elisabeth H.,
Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas
"Each piece was inspired by Bloom itself - the message, theme, colors, etc. "Bloom where you are planted" - don't just live somewhere, plant yourself in your community and thrive. The dandelion shows us - how we can go and live anywhere, are constantly moving, and we don't only grow, but become a "beautiful flower.""
Dandelion
Amelia M.
Fort Worth, TX
"This is a 35 mm film picture that I took on my Pentax K1000. My family and I were in the middle of a PCS to Texas after my dad's orders to Italy were changed. I was still grieving not getting to go to Italy and I took this picture as a reminder to bloom where I am planted. "
Creation of Bloom
Anna V.
"This piece is exploring nature through a re-creation of the 'Creation of Adam' by Michelangelo and is part of a portfolio using a specific piece of fabric. When I fist started this piece, it unfortunately got lost when my phone stopped working, so I recreated on paper and have seen a growth in both my art and my style." (Picture taken by Art teacher).
Dente di Leone
Sophia S.
Germany
"This is a painting I painted last fall, when the weather started getting cooler and there weren't as many flowers blooming anymore. I wanted to paint something that reminded me of the warmer, brighter months. While dandelions aren't the most colorful flowers, I felt as if painting one that is colorful captured the cheerful feeling that I feel during the time of year they bloom."
An Odyssey Through Green Pastures
Matthew A.
Texas
"Much like that seasonal gust, PCS season can come suddenly. From those familiar fields all the way to new locations, it can be difficult to adapt and grow in these environments. Whether you are just landing in a new field or have already rooted yourselves, know that your struggles and growth are all progress in building this new meadow. Take pride in your progress!"
A Burning Bloom
Anna V.
Germany
"Every artist is passionate about their art, it burning throughout each piece. Military kids are the same... they have a passion for whatever activity, sport, or art they do. It drives them to work their hardest to be good at it. Military kids burn the brightest when they do something they love. Like stars we shine in the sky, and like a flower we bloom with the rise of the sun."
Busy
Sofia T.
Virginia
"Growing up as a military-connected child, I feel that my life never stops. I am always moving, traveling, or doing something to help strengthen my community. Sometimes, especially in high school, I feel like a bee. I am always active. I do my best to help support those around me, in hopes of leaving my community a bit better than I found it when I initially moved into it. Unfortunately, this kind of lifestyle can be overwhelming. Sometimes, we just need to take a little break from the business of everyday life. When I shot this photograph, this little bee reminded me of myself and of my fellow military-connected children. We are all living a very busy, at times chaotic life. We need to remember that sometimes we need to rest for a bit and take a break. We need to remember that this is okay."
Bloom
Anna V.
Germany
"Bloom! Like a flower, military kids have the ability to grow. New situations, new experiences, new people. It can impact who we become and what we grow to be. Like a flower, we are flexible, and able to take root in new environments. Remember: military kids are resilient. No matter the whether, soil, or habitat, we can grow. We can bloom!"
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