A Year of Kindness - Challenge Week 18

Last week I challenged you all to abandon some art. I heard from several of you who were involved in a special quilt project (I was invited to participate at the very last moment, turned a quilt square around and in the mail same day, never took a picture!). I also heard from Rinda who actually did a public art abandonment and blogged about it here.  Way to go Rinda!

I decided to take myself up on my challenge. I painted rocks. Turns out to be harder than I thought. I had polished rocks purchased at Michaels - next time I'll try rocks picked up at the park, complete with rough texture to give the paint something to stick to.  After a base coat, I wrote affirmations on the rocks with a white pen. At which point I discovered that the rocks I had chosen (mostly the size of a dime to maybe a quarter) were too small to write on comfortably. I persevered and ended up with this little collection:

(shown significantly larger than life!).

I decided that for now I needed the reminder and kept the "just play" one for myself.

I put the rest in my pocket and headed to work on Thursday morning. I dropped one on the bench outside my building. After my work meeting, I met up with Melissa who was in Pennsylvania for the weekend. I met her and Robbie at the King of Prussia Mall. Dropped a rock on a pillar outside the mall, a second on a bench inside the mall. After lunch, we drove around Valley Forge National Park. I dropped one at the Visitor's Center gift shop while Melissa and Robbie were buying books. And I dropped the final one on a bench near Washington's Headquarters. That last one was found immediately and snatched up.  I hope the rest of them found good homes.

Having done the rock drop, yes, I'm ready to try it again. I'm also mulling over some ideas for tag art or small canvases....  It felt good to know that I had hopefully made someone's day or at least made them smile for a minute.

And now for this week's challenge...

LOOK UP

Inspired by this video that came across my Facebook Feed and really touched my heart. Please take five minutes to watch it:



The whole point is to be kind - to ourselves and others- by LIVING our lives in the moment, instead of having our noses constantly stuck in front of a screen. Yes, I get the irony that the video began on YouTube and is going viral via the very social media it is trying to get us to step away from. Yes, I get that I couldn't be sharing it with you without my blog or my facebook page. But the message is still valid and worth the reminder.

So Look Up! I'm here, smiling and waving and saying hello! (Ironically from the very screen you need to look up from). Now turn off your computer and go live for a bit!