Sometimes something small can make us feel strong. Chloe Dryden has learned this through her work as a tattoo artist. Through her craft, she has discovered the power of self-expression, helping people realise their identity through storytelling, art and beauty. Throughout her work and life, she finds strength and joy in seeing others discover the power within themselves. “Strong today means being assertive, but also aware of other people's situations,” says Chloe. “Being able to advocate for those people as well as yourself.”

Visual artist Daragh McCann has always been concerned with finding his own people. He came to the UK as an immigrant and, as a person with autism, it took him time to find and connect with a queer community he could call home. He’s redefined his own personal understanding of masculinity, discarding the old school stereotypes and embracing more nuanced ideas of strength. “Strength has these connotations of bravado and masculinity,” he says. “Unwavering strength. To me, strength is a form of integrity and self-awareness.”

Growing up, Geethika struggled with feeling neither “white enough” or “Indian enough. After rejecting the traditional career path, she had the resolve to follow her dreams all the way to acting school – but discovered a toxic lack of diversity. Despite the adversity, she had the strength to remain her truly authentic self, and has become a bright young star in the acting world. “I used to reject my culture,” she says. “But I'm finally now in a place where I can be proud of both. I can be an alternative Indian. I can wear Indian jewellery and I can wear Docs — and it's cool. There's not one way to be.”

When H Holliday came out as masc-presenting non-binary, they found a new kind of strength existed within them. It’s a type of strength we don’t talk about enough: one that is defined by sensitivity, and fostered in the collective compassion of a group that looks out for one another. An artist and photographer, H’s story is one that speaks to the solidarity of the queer community and the creativity a found family can sustain and nurture. “When you have a support system of people who can relate to what you’re going through and stand by you, it creates a bigger, universal strength in community.”

The idea of home and belonging are abstract and complicated concepts to the artist Maggie Chen. Born in Beijing, her mother lives in Europe, her father in China, and she’s attended university in both the US and the UK. Holding onto her heritage as she’s moved through the world has provided her with a unique challenge, which she explores in her art. For Chen, strength is about finding balance in the moments that lurk between power and weakness.“Life is always changing, and it's unrealistic to hold yourself up to a single standard of being strong,” she says. “It’s fine to be vulnerable and sad sometimes.”

Punk rock is a genre that’s concerned with power; not wielding power over others, but with unleashing your own inner strength. It’s a spirit that is alive and well in the eclectic rock and roll four-piece Whobodyhow, led by the unflappable Milo Massey. Milo’s radical self-expression is rooted in a rejection of traditional, patriarchal notions of strength, and this has allowed him to unlock new depths in his creative practice. “People are starting to find their voice in society, and find their individual power,” he says. “Not power over anything or anyone else – just your individual power. And that’s really beautiful.”

Originally from Lagos, and now based in London, Motherlan are a skate crew like no other. They see things differently, and together they’ve set the agenda for what it means to be a skater from Nigeria. And like many of the game-changing skate crews that have preceded and inspired them, their vision stretches much further than their boards. Motherlan is a multidisciplinary outfit; a streetwear brand and a creative collective who are dreaming big. It’s a confidence that speaks to the power of strength in numbers.

Whether operating as a solo artist, or as half of genre-defying, high-octane rap duo Yurufuwa Gang, NENE’s energy is unmistakable. The kaleidoscopic quality of her music, and the playful but daring edge to her performances, are hallmarks of one of Japan’s most exciting and experimental emerging artists. A musician who has no problem pushing boundaries and seeing what works - even if that means taking a few wrong turns along the way. As Nene puts it: “Admitting to failure and learning from failure makes you stronger.”

Singer-songwriter Niko Rubio understands that great music comes from truth. As a first-generation Mexican living in America, her lyrics incorporate Spanish and English, a reflection of the cultural heritage that has shaped her and her voice. Now based in California, her lush, sunny sound also speaks to the coastal state she now calls home. "I think the most important thing that you can do is be true to yourself,” Niko says. “And that's what's going to make you strong."

We often discover just how strong we are when we least expect it. Oduenyi Nwike discovered this when they moved to the UK from their native Ireland, a young poet nervous about where their place in this new city was, as a young queer artist. They quickly found a new home though, among a community that welcomed them and their immersive, expressive spoken word. “When you are your most vulnerable self, there's so much strength within that — because that is your truest form.”

Pasqualina De Simone, aka Lina Simons, grew up in a small Italian town, where her mum was the only other Black person she knew. But the rapper and singer eventually found her own vibrant community of Black Italians. “I found strength when I found my community, because I felt like there was someone that could relate to me.” For Pasqualina, finding that community after spending her formative years as an outsider was life-changing. Now based in the UK, she still raps in her distinctive Neapolitan dialect.

Saskia Horton is a classically trained musician and technically gifted performance artist who has excelled in every artistic discipline she’s explored. She’s also a powerful advocate for disabled people, having been diagnosed herself with ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) at the height of her career. For Saskia, strength is about harnessing that inner power when your physical strength has abandoned you. “Waking up was an act of strength. Saying: you are still worthy and valuable and inherently beautiful,” she says. “Even without moving, without lifting a finger, without even talking to a single human being. And knowing that worthiness is a strength.”

It’s never easy going against your parents wishes, but that’s exactly what British-Korean rapper Seungwoo Park had to go when pursuing his career in music. They had a firm idea of how his life would go, but so did he, and there was only ever one way forward – he had to stay true to himself. “Accepting myself is what makes me strong,” says Seungwoo. “Once you realise who you actually are, not what the internet has based you on. Genuinely looking at yourself in the mirror and re-evaluating who you are and what you believe in.”

It takes strength to make change. And strength comes when we work together. Nobody knows this better than Xiuhtezcatl Martinez. As a musician and activist he’s been challenging social and environmental challenges facing us all, with a particular focus on the significant threats posed to indigenous and other marginalized communities by climate change. Formerly the Youth Director of Earth Guardians, he’s passionate about the power of education to inspire young people to work together to create a better, fairer future. “Power is built through collective imagination and liberation. Strength is a reflection of that.”