Illustration by Ana Hinojosa.

As a new administration comes to power in the United States, fighting against injustice is on the minds of many. I believe that art is a very important part of social change. For today’s Creative Prompt, I invite you to think about the injustices you have faced or have witnessed in the larger world. Think also about the rights that are important to you to protect—for yourself and people you hold dear, or for our planet and the creatures we share it with. Maybe you would like to honor someone who fought or fights for justice, or a significant moment of social justice or change. (I think of the beautiful day in June 2015 when marriage equality was declared by the United States Supreme Court—the tears of happiness I cried as I walked across a rainbow-painted crosswalk in Seattle.) Or maybe you are scared for the future: If you see a bleak path ahead, you could turn that into a dystopian poem or micro-story.

Try your hand at fiction, poetry, a personal reflection, or a visual art piece that expresses your visions for justice and change, or your fears and battles with injustice. Send your creation to [email protected] with the subject line “Creative Prompt” by Monday, January 23 at 6 PM EST. Please include your first name, last initial, age, and location. Your art and your voices are important for change, and we look forward to seeing what you have to say.

P.S. If you have written or want to write a personal essay about your experience with injustice and empowerment, YA author Amy Reed is editing an anthology on this topic in reaction to the U.S. presidential election. It will be published by Simon Pulse and will feature many YA writers (full disclosure: that includes me). Amy and her agent are running a contest for submissions from female, female-identifying, and gender-queer writers. They are particularly interested in aspiring writers and marginalized voices. A chosen submission will be published in the collection, and the winner will be paid for publication. If you are interested in this contest (and I would love to see tons of Rooks submit!), you can find the details on Amy’s website.

For last week’s Creative Prompt, we asked you to create a secret recipe. Here’s what you cooked up…