
Create Your Happiness
Tell us about a craft or project that brings you joy.
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
May 12, 2021
Submissions closed
Jun 12, 2021 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Jun 26, 2021
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
May 12, 2021
Submissions closed
Jun 12, 2021 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Jun 26, 2021
About this challenge
There's no doubt that happiness and creativity go hand-in-hand. No matter how busy life gets, it's essential to carve out some time for the things that bring us joy. Roll up your sleeves, grab your supplies, and let's create some happiness.
For this Challenge, we want to celebrate your craft! Tell us about a project or activity you love doing that involves using your creativity and the inspiration behind the creative process, including an image of it as well! The only requirement is that your hobby must include a pair of scissors. Whether that's designing clothing, crafting meticulous origami, or creating decorations to elevate your themed party, everything counts! We're partnering with Fiskars for this Challenge, who firmly believes high-quality tools can help empower creators and allow them to focus on what they're passionate about. We're excited to hear (and see) what you've been creating and all of the reasons you love doing so!
For creative inspiration, projects, and more visit Fiskars.com and follow them on Instagram.
Judges
Tabitha Sewer purchased her first sewing machine a few years ago and hasn't stopped creating colorful, unique clothing since. She loves to mix patterns and bright colors to make extravagant pieces that fit her personality perfectly. You can check out buttons, buckles, and sewing patterns that she's designed on her site here. For tips, tricks, and inspiration, follow her on Instagram @tabithasewer
Sarah Rivero Khandjian, a graphic designer turned crafty maker behind the DIY and lifestyle brand Sarah Hearts. She finds joy in creating beautiful things and helping others do the same. For motivation, projects, and more, follow her for all on Instagram @sarahhearts
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 5,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until June 11, 2021, at 11:59 PM EDT will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Create Your Own Happiness Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+ visit https://specialdealxcenter.live/vocal-plus%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E.%3C/p%3E%3Cp class="css-1923z11-Text">To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or third place prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and residing in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need to have a Stripe account created and connected in order to receive the prizes. For this reason, entrants located outside of any of these countries will not be eligible to win.
Open challenges
Challenges you can enter now for a chance to win.
What Comes Back
Write a poem about something that returns, whether expected or not.
$200 Grand Prize35 hours leftSmall Win
Write a piece about a small, everyday victory that ends up meaning more than expected.
$200 Grand Prize8 days leftThe Unhappy Ending
Write a story that does not end well, and allows the consequences to stand.
$200 Grand Prize15 days leftSorry About That
Write a humorous piece in the form of an apology that gradually reveals a situation the speaker is responsible for, growing more complicated as it goes.
$200 Grand Prize22 days leftAfter It’s Gone
Write an elegy poem that mourns a person, place, time, or idea that has been lost.
$200 Grand Prize29 days leftI Made It Worse
Write a true or fictional confession about a situation where you tried to fix something and only made it worse.
$200 Grand Prize36 days leftStay a While
Write a slasher-inspired horror story set in an isolated location where a group begins to realize they are not alone.
$500 Grand Prize43 days left
Challenge resources
Say It Plainly Challenge Winners
A pattern showed up pretty quickly reading this shortlist: these poems don’t circle what they’re about. They just say it. That makes for some tough, raw reads. Miscarriage, infidelity, chronic pain, money, addiction, fear for someone you love. Not much is softened or dressed up. By the end, I felt like I needed a cigarette, and I don’t even smoke.
By Vocal Curation Teamabout 24 hours ago in Resources
Something Is Beginning, I Think Challenge Winners
This challenge wasn’t about clean starts. It was about that weird in-between where something is beginning, but no one really knows what yet. A lot of these stories leaned into hesitation, into pauses and false starts and that feeling that something is about to happen but hasn’t quite.
By Vocal Curation Team8 days ago in Resources






