Hope

By Nicole Jayawardena, aged 12 from Leicester

Tell us about the artwork

My artwork is about how being different is great and is completely normal, as we are all different and amazing in our own ways.

What inspired you to make your artwork?

What inspires me is all the people around the world who aren't afraid of showing off who they are, no matter what people think about them. And the people who understand that not everyone is the same and that not everybody is perfect.

What action would you like people to take to make the world better for girls and non-binary young people today?

It's no surprise that today we live in a judgemental society where bullying does exist. Because of this people all around the world are becoming self conscious about how they look, and many compare themselves to people they think look 'better' than them. This negative mindset about themselves may lead to issues with their mental health, and if the situation is extremely bad, they could even harm themselves physically. To stop this from happening, all we have to do is simply stop judging someone on their looks and to stop saying hurtful things to one another. Because even if you don't see it, it what you say really does stick with them forever. Instead, compliment them and make themselves feel better about themselves. It helps more than you think.

This artwork is part of WOWsers: A Creative Explosion, an exhibition supported by BBC Children In Need's impact programme focused on children’s mental health, A Million & Me.