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Welcome to The Red Callow

At The Red Callow, we embrace the beauty of beginnings, the raw, untapped potential that exists within all of us.

The word "callow" often carries a connotation of inexperience or immaturity, but we believe it’s a reminder of what makes us all uniquely human: our capacity to grow, learn, and evolve.

We pair it with red, a color of intensity, awareness, and vivid life. While green has long symbolized inexperience, red represents the opposite: a passionate engagement with the world. The Red Callow honors both the vulnerability of being new and the power of embracing life fully, even while learning.

Every person, no matter their journey or how far along they’ve come, carries a trace of "callow" within them. It’s in the fresh perspectives we bring, the new challenges we face, and the small moments that lead to greater wisdom. This quality, far from a weakness, is what gives us the strength to evolve, to push boundaries, and to find new layers of who we are.

Here, we celebrate the process of becoming, the messy, beautiful, and often untold stories of growth and transformation. The Red Callow is a space for those who are still learning, still discovering, and still figuring it all out. It reminds us that feeling intensely and learning through experience are not signs of naivety, they are marks of awareness.

Somewhere, somehow, we are all callow, and that is exactly what makes us great.

The Summer I Learned I Was Lonely

This summer I realized that being surrounded by people doesn’t mean you’re not alone. I hung out with so many people, went so many places, but everything felt like a distraction.Loneliness isn’t always quiet. Sometimes it’s loud and bright and laughing with friends.

1 min read

i hate parties

I went to a party last weekend and realized halfway through that everyone was performing. The girls posing for pictures they’ll delete later, the guys laughing too loudly at jokes that weren’t funny. I felt like I was floating above the room watching a bunch of strangers wearing masks. Maybe growing up is just realizing how often people pretend.

1 min read

FOR THE VERSION OF ME THAT'S TRYING

you’re doing okay even when you don’t feel okay even when you think you’re failing even when the world says run faster breathe deeper smile wider you’re still here and that is its own kind of victory

1 min read

CAN WE NOT

I'm tired of pretending I'm not tired. Or that this is normal.

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My Mom Thinks I Don't Try. I Think I Try Too Hard.

She keeps saying I’m “lazy” or “unmotivated,” but she has no idea how much effort it takes just to get out of bed some mornings. Or how heavy school feels even when I’m doing fine. It’s like everyone expects us to be machines. I’m TRYING. Just not the way she measures it.

1 min read

If anyone else feels this too... hi

Does anyone else have days where your brain feels too loud? Like there’s a traffic jam of thoughts and no green light in sight? If you feel like that too, just… hi. I don’t know you, but I hope tomorrow is quieter.

1 min read

I Miss Who I Was in 5th Grade

Sometimes I think the last time I was truly myself was in elementary school. Back when everything I liked wasn’t embarrassing yet. When I wasn’t constantly comparing my voice, my face, my personality, my everything to everyone else. I miss the version of me that laughed without thinking about what my teeth looked like.

1 min read

Untitled Poem I'm Too Shy to Share Somewhere Else

i am trying to be softer with myself so that one day i won’t flinch at my own reflection or apologize for existing in a world that made me feel like a guest in my own skin

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It seems that life either moves too fast or too slow

Some days I feel like everything is happening too quickly. Assignments piling up, decisions looming, relationships shifting. Other days it feels like nothing is happening at all and I’m stuck on a loop, waiting for something exciting to shake things up. It’s confusing to want stability and change at the same time. To want to grow up but also stay safe. To want to leave but also belong. I guess that’s what being a teenager is: being pulled in opposite directions constantly and

1 min read

I'm Trying To Like Myself Again

I’m trying to rebuild my relationship with myself. It’s harder than I expected. I spent so many years criticizing every part of me. My face, my body, my voice, my personality, that now kindness feels foreign. I look in the mirror and try to talk to myself like I would talk to my best friend. It feels awkward, but also necessary. I’m learning that self-esteem isn’t a switch you flip; it’s a language you relearn. Some days I do better. Some days I don’t. But I’m trying. And may

1 min read

Unsaid Things

There are so many things I don’t know how to tell people: That loud noises overwhelm me. That I replay conversations in my head for hours. That I don’t always want to be strong. That I’m scared of losing people even when I know they’re not right for me. I wish vulnerability didn’t feel like danger. I wish the people I love could read between the lines without me needing to spell it out. But maybe this is what growing up is, learning how to say the unsaid things before they sw

1 min read

I want to be seen, but not too much

It’s strange being a teenager in the age of the internet. I want someone to understand me, to really get me, but I also panic at the thought of being perceived too deeply. I post pictures and then immediately delete them. I draft captions and never press share. I crave connection but fear exposure. It feels like everyone is curating a museum version of themselves. Polished, filtered, labeled neatly with clever captions. And then there’s me: a mess of real emotions and awkward

1 min read

I don't know how to outgrow people

I’ve been losing a friend slowly, like watching a sunset. It's beautiful at first, then painful because you know it’s ending. We didn’t fight. We just drifted, which somehow hurts more. I keep replaying memories of us laughing until we cried, sharing secrets that felt like sacred currency. Now we barely text. People always talk about romantic heartbreak, but friendship heartbreak is so underrated. No one writes songs about it, but it deserves its own genre. I don’t hate them.

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Home doesn't feel like home

It’s weird when you live with people and still feel alone. My family talks, but we don’t talk. We say things like “How was school?” and “I’ll be home late,” but we never say “I’m struggling” or “I miss us.” The silence between us feels heavy, like a room that hasn’t been aired out in years. Sometimes I wish someone would notice without me having to say anything. The way I linger in my room. The way I get quieter at dinner. The way I stay up late because nighttime is the only

1 min read

Why does it feel like everyone else has a map?

I keep thinking other people have some internal GPS that I missed out on. They know where they’re headed, what they want, who they are. Meanwhile I feel like I’m stuck at the world’s longest crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn green. People keep telling me to “trust the process,” but the process feels like guessing. How are we supposed to make huge life decisions when our brains aren’t even fully developed? Half the time I can’t decide what to eat for lunch. Still, there

1 min read

Friends, but Acting

Every time I hang out with my friend group, I feel like I’m playing a character. They laugh so loudly and so easily, and I’m always one beat behind. I don’t think they’d recognize me if I stopped acting.

1 min read

Invisible Weight?

My parents keep saying, “You’re young, what’s there to be stressed about?” I wish I could explain the pressure of wanting to become someone worthwhile while feeling like you’re already falling behind. It’s a heavy kind of invisible.

1 min read

Homesick for the Future

Sometimes I feel nostalgic for a life I haven’t lived yet. A room that’s mine, a version of me that’s healed, mornings where I wake up excited instead of anxious. I miss a future I hope I eventually reach.

1 min read

To Trust is an Art

Trust is not a simple yes or no. It is a spectrum, shifting with each interaction. Sometimes, trust grows slowly, nurtured by small acts of kindness and consistency. Other times, it crumbles quickly under the weight of misunderstanding or neglect. Consider how trust can be tested by misunderstandings. A friend might forget an important detail or fail to respond in a moment of need. These moments do not always signal betrayal but can still sow seeds of doubt. The challenge lie

1 min read

The Weight

Friendship promises safety, understanding, and loyalty. Yet, when trust falters, it leaves a hollow space filled with questions. Why do I hesitate to share my true thoughts? Why do I hold back parts of myself? These questions echo in the silence between conversations, in the moments when vulnerability feels risky. One might recall a time when a secret shared in confidence was met with betrayal, or when support was promised but never delivered. These experiences carve deep gro

1 min read

Recognizing Excellence: The Red Callow Awards

Celebrating those who embody growth, courage, and heart.

The Red Callow Awards recognize individuals across the nation who express truth from an innocent heart, uplift their communities, and push personal and collective boundaries. These awards honor the raw, transformative power of being callow, unformed, unafraid, and growing boldly in public.

Anyone can submit. Anyone can be considered.
Whether you're a poet, writer, thinker, activist, or quiet force in your community, if your work speaks from a place of honesty and evolution, we want to hear from you.

Submit Your Entry

The Callow Award

For the individual who writes or creates from an innocent heart, revealing personal growth and evolution. This recipient embodies the very spirit of “Callow”---- unpolished, honest, and ever-becoming.

The Summit Award

Awarded for awe-inspiring courage and strength in the face of challenge. This is for the person whose journey has defied the odds, and whose voice is a beacon for others.

The Nurturing Award

For the soul who uplifts their community, amplifies others, and encourages growth beyond the self. A true cultivator

of light in others.

The Emergence Award

For someone stepping into their power for the first time. This award honors those in the midst of becoming—raw, bold, and beautifully uncertain.

The Ember Award

For passion that refuses to burn out. This goes to the individual whose work carries an enduring fire subtle or roaring that inspires lasting change.

How to Submit:

Submissions are open nationwide.
To be considered, simply submit your work, story, or nomination—no prior recognition or experience required. This space honors sincerity over perfection.

Our Story

​Welcome to The Red Callow

The Summer I Learned I Was Lonely

i hate parties

FOR THE VERSION OF ME THAT'S TRYING

CAN WE NOT

My Mom Thinks I Don't Try. I Think I Try Too Hard.

If anyone else feels this too... hi

I Miss Who I Was in 5th Grade

Untitled Poem I'm Too Shy to Share Somewhere Else

It seems that life either moves too fast or too slow

I'm Trying To Like Myself Again

Unsaid Things

I want to be seen, but not too much

I don't know how to outgrow people

Home doesn't feel like home

Why does it feel like everyone else has a map?

Friends, but Acting

Invisible Weight?

Homesick for the Future

To Trust is an Art

The Weight

Recognizing Excellence: The Red Callow Awards

Celebrating those who embody growth, courage, and heart.

The Callow Award

The Summit Award

The Nurturing Award

The Ember Award

How to Submit:

Submit?

Our
Story

Welcome to The Red Callow