This can be a theme about different races and cultures. An Elf among Hobbits would probably feel as much out of place as a Man among Dwarves, or a Rohirrim in Harad. The customs, the language, the food: many things can differ between the different cultures, and Middle-earth is home to many of them. We know about Aragorn that he traveled far in it, and we also know about Legolas' travels with Gimli after the end of the war. Did they feel out of place during those travels, and did they overcome that feeling? That is a question you can explore in your art or story.
But it's not only distant lands where one can feel out of place. That feeling can be experienced even in the land one considers home, among friends or family. It can be the returning from a long travel, when one realizes that while the place where he returned didn't change, he did, and it will never be the same for him. It can be something else that suddenly changes, and sometimes that change might not even be visible. The opposite to being out of place is a sense of belonging, and that's something one can get with time, but also lose.
The deadline for this challenge is February 25th, but can be extended until the end of the month. If you need an extension to finish your story or picture, just write to the email below!
For writers: send your stories to teitho.contest@gmail.com. The contest is anonymous and the story can't be posted publicly until the results of the challenge are announced. Aragorn or Legolas don't have to be main characters, but at least one of them must be mentioned in the story.
For artists: Submit your picture into the Teitho gallery folder of Arda-Inspired at deviantArt. The picture should be new, drawn specifically for the challenge. State that you are submitting it to the contest in the artist's comments.
Happy writing and drawing!
Your Teitho-moderator,
Mirach
