Restoration and Rebuilding

The Silmarillion can feel like an unrelentingly tragic work. Yet at the end of every downfall comes a time of restoration that drives not just the storyline but our beloved characters of Middle-earth forward into the next chapter of their history.

In honor of Akallabêth in August, our annual celebration of fanworks set in the Second Age, this month's challenge will center on the themes of rebuilding and restoration.

You may select the prompt or prompts that speak to you from the list below.

This challenge opened in August 2022 .

Prompts

Choose your prompt from the collection below.

View Prompts

Quotes

"When we rebuild a house, we are rebuilding a home. When we recover from disaster, we are rebuilding lives and livelihoods."
- Sri Mulyani Indrawati

"For me, Art is the restoration of order. It may discuss all sort of terrible things, but there must be satisfaction at the end. A little bit of hunger, but also satisfaction."
- Toni Morrison

“When the storm has passed, put your energy into rebuilding your life. Don’t waste time looking back.” - Leon Brown

“We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise, we harden.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
(Or if you prefer the original: "Man muß immerfort verändern, erneuern, verjüngern, um nicht zu verstocken.")

“I can see in the acorn the oak tree. I see the growth, the rebuilding, the restoring.” - Maya Angelou

“Designing a dream city is easy; rebuilding a living one takes imagination.” - Jane Jacobs

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
J.R.R. Tolkien

“I have to be alone very often. I'd be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That's how I refuel." -Audrey Hepburn

“Action on behalf of life transforms. Because the relationship between self and the world is reciprocal, it is not a question of first getting enlightened or saved and then acting. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.” -Robin Wall Kimmerer

“You will be one of the menders of this world; not the makers, nor yet the breakers, just one of the menders.”  -Rosemary Sutcliff

 

Audio

James Newton Howard - Soundtrack for Restoration (1995)

Thomas Newman - "Come Back to Us" (from 1917)

Andra Day - "Rise Up"

Nat King Cole - "Pick Yourself Up"

Nina Simone - "Feeling Good"

Kids See Ghosts - "Reborn"

Meat Loaf, feat. Marion Raven - "It's All Coming Back To Me Now"

Peter Gabriel - "Here Comes The Flood"

Dragonforce - "Dawn Over A New World"

John Farnham - "Have A Little Faith (In Us)"

R.E.M. - "Aftermath"

Starship - "We Built This City"

Bob Dylan - "The Times They Are a Changin'"

Sam Cooke - "A Change Is Gonna Come"

Mediæval Bæbes - "Return of the Birds"

Runrig - "Maymorning"

Coldplay - "Up & Up"

Video

Restoration of Stained Glass Windows

Whychus Creek Restoration

River restoration & natural flood management

Invisible Mending

Candy Drop Roller Restoration

Restoration of Antique Pocket Watch

Images