Inspiration from the Street for the All-American Rejects

For the release of The All-American Rejects‘ new album, Kids in the Street, the band has taken a novel approach to fan interaction by asking, “What does being a Kid in the Street mean to you?” The band has created an official tumblr to let fans answer that question in their own unique ways. Anyone can submit stories, photos and videos about a moment in your life when you were a kid in the street. It’s open to interpretation and, of course, there are no wrong answers.

As part of this overall call for entries, the Rejects have partnered with Creative Allies to give artists and designers an official platform to create a poster for Kids in the Street that captures a nostalgic moment in your own life. The winner will score $500 and an AAR prize pack and have his or her artwork displayed at a special event hosted by the band.

While entries for the Creative Allies contest are restricted to poster art, it’s worth checking in on the official tumblr for inspiration in other formats like photography, painting and even dance. We did just that and pulled out some highlights.

First of all, here is the band’s statement about the project:

Kids in the Street is not just the name of the album. It’s lyrically and musically nostalgic. It takes you back to an innocent state of mind. Our music has been a great escape. We want you to be a part of it. Be a KID IN THE STREET. Submit your favorite moments in life. Paintings, photos, videos, interpretive dances, whatever expresses who you are, will do. Show us anything you can that captures a moment in your life or reflection on your life.

Here are some of our favorite entries from the contest tumblr:

Our heart strings were knotted together in a confused jumble of laughter as we trekked down to the beach. For that eensy bit of time, our lives were an inexhaustible fountain of adventure. We rejoiced in the freedom of BEING, our company- the makeshift family we had hastily pasted together. All our troubles were melted away by the hazy, steadily-setting California sun, dropping into the ocean and fizzling like a hot pan. For a brief yet momentous second, we were free. We were kids in the street.

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One of my most nostalgic childhood memories is related to my trips to the boardwalk. Growing up, my mother lived in point pleasant beach, NJ, so when I was a child we would visit here frequently. My fondest memory of point pleasant is it’s arcades. I had literally become obsessed with the crane games to the point where I’d have my mom drive me there every weekend just to play. In my painting, I tried to capture my memory of the guileless fascination I had with such a simple machine. Recalling the ability I once had to purely enjoy such simple things in life, to me, is pure nostalgia.

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There I found myself, center stage, one giant spotlight and one tiny dancer. The music began to play and suddenly my body just took over. It was almost as if my mind had completely shut down for that moment. I felt free, I felt weightless. As if my existence at that moment was solely to please a higher power. The movements were fluid, meshing with the blood through my veins everything just seemed to flow perfect. I knew this was a feeling I didn’t want to ever loosen my grasp of.

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We hope these entries have helped inspire your submissions, and given you an idea of what you’d like to do with your own experiences. What kind of story will your poster tell?

Submit your idea for The All-American Rejects Poster Design Contest on Creative Allies. One winner will score $500 and an AAR prize pack.