It's time!

Time to let cats out of bags!

Worms out of cans!

Skeletons out of closets!

According to ~lostinmyworld, founder of #here-to-help she founded this group to be a place where people can talk, can find friends, and can get things off their chest in a safe place.

So in that spirit and in honor of newly becoming a Group, we are happy to announce #here-to-help's ice-breaking event:

It's "Get It Off Your Chest" -- the contest.


Got a secret? An old memory that's been weighing you down? A secret rant you've never shared? A secret dream you're hoping will take flight? That special someone you've always wanted to thank? To tell off? To confess your love? To apologize for an old hurt? Something you've maybe never even confessed to yourself?


Well here is the chance for your secrets to come out to play.

In this contest, any and all media are welcome. It can be written, poetry, drawing or painting, even sculpture, body art, song lyrics, even cooking. Whatever works for you.


Your entry does not necessarily have to tell a story or make sense in any 'normal' way ( - although it would help to have some explanation, its not necessary). It can even be some private ritual only you understand. We just want you to set something free from deep inside -- and use the amazing power of art to transform it into something new.


Most importantly, it doesn't have to turn into a huge emo fest - and actually, we'd rather it didn't. We know a lot of the secrets we hold are horribly painful. These are so often the secrets that do the most damage, as they stay inside us, untold.

But we don't want to encourage people to wallow. We want to encourage people to transform.

We will be judging the entries on Honesty. Impact. Passion. Beauty. But mostly, what you have done and what you will do with your art and your life to transform this experience, this memory, this dream, this hope, this experience, this shame, this secret, this wound, into something new and beautiful -- something that you can look forward to -- something that can even help others -- or at least something that has begun to take the first steps along that sometimes endless road to being whole.

This group is about 'helping'. So we want you to not only set your secret free: we want you to put it to bed: send it on its way: retire it: celebrate it: and release it. we want you to transform it into something new and even beautiful, that will nourish you and others, instead of drain and hurt you.

The Contest deadline is the 21st of August.

Prizes so far are:

Free Commission by ~LanternLeaf
Journal Feature by =Shadowelve
Journal Feature by ~lostinmyworld
Journal Feature by *WishingUnderThatStar

--- if you are able and willing to donate something that can be used as a prize (e.g. subscriptions, journal features, art, etc.) please do!!! Just send a note to the #here-to-help group or note one of the admins listed on the main site for prize donations, questions, ideas, or anything else you'd like to say.